A view of Chaotianmen port in Chongqing city Photo: Liu Yang/GT

"The whole world loves pandas, and no one can resist them. We were deeply moved by the sight of a panda," Denisa Petrilakova, editor of domestic and foreign news from Czech Media Agency, told the Global Times when she saw baby twin pandas - Yu Ke and Yu Ai - in Chongqing Zoo.

Petrilakova was among the foreign journalists captivated by the adorable bamboo eaters, calling them "super cute". 

During the 2024 Belt and Road Journalists Forum, which kicked off in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Saturday, several foreign journalists visited a number of scenery spots of the mountainous city, and were marveled by their local charm.

China's inbound tourism has continued to heat up this summer, with more overseas tourists making China their travel and leisure destination. Boasting unique natural landscapes, more foreign tourists are choosing to take an in-depth trip to China's western provinces.

According to Qunar, a leading online travel service platform in China, in the first half of 2024, bookings by travelers using non-Chinese passports to book tickets on domestic routes increased 1.8 times year-on-year to 2023, with more than 10 percent of foreign visitors coming to China twice in six months.

Chengdu, Xi'an, Chongqing and other western cities ranked among the top 10 popular destinations for foreign travelers flying in China, Qunar said.

Thriving tourism 

Today, more people are curious to explore China and experience its diverse culture. These foreign journalists were particularly struck by the stunning natural beauty of the western region, with its rolling hills, fast-flowing rivers, lush forests, and many world heritage sites.

Taking the Two-River Cruise on the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the journalists were impressed with an unforgettable experience when taking in Chongqing's cityscape at night. 

A night view of Chongqing Photo: Liu Yang/GT

Petrilakova said that in addition to Beijing and Shanghai, she would recommend Chongqing to Czechs. "I was very touched by the night view of the mountain city, which is really special and beautiful."

"I don't want to leave this cruise ship. I'm mesmerized by the city's vibrant night scenery," Kirtan Bhana, director and editor of The Diplomatic Society, a media outlet in South Africa, told the Global Times.

Elizabeth Sade, a senior reporter from the Media Association of Solomon Islands, was struck by three massive natural stone bridges in the Fairy Mountain of Wulong district in Chongqing. 

The Three Natural Bridges is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, renowned for its breathtaking karst landscape. 

A view of the Three Natural Bridges in Wulong district, Chongqing Photo: Liu Yang/GT

"The three bridges that we visited were something that I was thrilled about. Alongside, the strong connection that I saw between locals and the environment also amazes me," Sade told the Global Times, noting that she was impressed by local government's efforts to promote tourism and protect ecologic diversity.

"I love the foggy scenery in the Fairy Mountain, and it makes me feel like I'm in paradise," Melisa Skender, general secretary from Croatian Journalists' Association, told the Global Times.

"We are continuously improving the level of visitor services," He Qing, secretary of the CPC Wulong District Committee of Chongqing, told the Global Times, noting that the Fairy Mountain has set up payment facilitation services, with 139 ATMs for foreign card cash withdrawal and 91 POS machines for facilitating payments by foreign tourists. 

From January to July this year, the district received a total of 94,000 foreign tourists, an increase of 221.9 percent year-on-year, He Qing said.

Since the country continuously rolled out its visa-free entry policies from last year, the number of foreign inbound tourists has kept growing. 

According to the latest statistics from the National Immigration Administration (NIA), from January to July this year, the number of foreign visitor trips to China soared by 129.9 percent year-on-year to 17.25 million. During the period, 846,000 port visas were issued to foreigners who have urgent needs to enter China but do not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates abroad. The figure rose 183 percent year-on-year.

The foreign visitors are estimated to boost consumption topping 100 billion yuan ($14.07 billion) in total, with a per capita daily average consumption volume hitting nearly 3,500 yuan, according to the NIA.