Foreign students learn about hand puppet performances inside a Tulou in Nanjing county, East China's Fujian Province, on December 11, 2024. Fujian Tulou, which dates back to the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, are circular fortress-like Chinese rural dwellings built by the Hakka people in the mountainous areas of Fujian. Photo: VCG

East China's Fujian Province has unveiled a set of new measures to boost the growth of inbound tourism and the local economy in 2025, according to a news release issued on the local government's official website on Sunday.

The measures, jointly issued by the Fujian provincial department of culture and tourism and other relevant departments, constitute Fujian's first specific inbound tourism policy in recent years, including a dedicated fund to incentivize the sightseeing sector's development in the new year. 

Encompassing 12 targeted initiatives across five aspects — enhancing inbound tourism promotion, simplifying the entry process for foreign visitors, expanding offerings of high-quality tourism products, improving service quality and strengthening support for key industry factors — the measures aim to comprehensively boost and upgrade inbound tourism while fueling the province's ongoing drive to become a global travel hub.

The fresh moves highlight incentives to encourage various market players to boost inbound tourism. It plans to offer financial rewards ranging from 200,000 yuan ($27,320.16) to 600,000 yuan under specific conditions for top travel agencies that significantly increase the number of overnight international visitors, leading companies that attract overseas institutions to hold cultural performances, study tours, and other tourism activities in Fujian, as well as those who participate in major international tourism fairs.

Specific funds will also support the enhancement and maintenance of main attractions in the province, such as national 5A-rated scenic spots, first-class national museums and national-level resorts, a local official revealed during a press briefing at the end of December.

China introduced a more relaxed transit visa-free policy starting from December 17, extending the permissible stay for foreign travelers to 240 hours. The policy also added Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Nanping in Fujian as new visa-free transit ports, expanding permitted areas for such stays to cover the entire province.

The measures propose enhancing the transportation infrastructure and convenience facilities, as well as a more consumer-friendly environment. The establishment of "one-stop" service centers is encouraged to simplify the use of various identification documents and streamline payment methods for inbound visitors.

It also emphasizes ramping up regional and international cooperation, such as collaborating with the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and international organizations like the United Nations World Tourism Organization. 

The local government pledges to fully adopt national policies of optimizing visa and customs procedures, strengthen the transportation network for foreign arrivals, and expand international flight routes and ocean cruise services. The goal is to cultivate world-class cultural and tourism products, making Fujian an even more attractive destination for travelers from around the world.

The strong momentum in China's inbound tourism has continued into 2025. Official data showed that over the New Year's holidays, border inspection authorities processed a total of 1.803 million entries and exits of Chinese and foreign nationals, reflecting a 13.7 percent year-on-year increase. Notably, the number of foreigners entering and exiting China surged by 33.6 percent compared with the previous year.

Global Times