China, among the last countries to reopen from the pandemic shutdown, is experiencing a tourism upswing, which the country largely credits to the easing of its visa policies.
Last December, China enabled citizens of the U.S. and 54 other countries to visit the country for up to 10 days visa-free, eliminating an onerous visa policy that has long been associated with travel to China.
The change is part of an overall easing of visa policies that for some countries include 30 days of visa-free travel. The one for U.S. visitors is a transit visa that mandates they go from China to a third country before returning home. Hong Kong and Macao both count as third destinations under the policy.
China made the policy change to try to boost international visitation, which at 132 million visitors in 2024 still lags 2019's 155 million. According to the China National Tourist Office in New York, the change is working. About 71% of international visitors to China in the first quarter of 2025 traveled visa-free, and the office said it has seen "an upward trend in international visitors coming to China" since visa-free entry launched.
Those visa-free travelers are staying longer and spending more money than travelers did prepandemic, the tourism office said, spending about four and a half days on average compared to just two in 2019. Visitors are also exploring more of the country, with 72% of them going to multiple cities.
Tour operators, travel suppliers and advisors are reporting a mixed bag when it comes to U.S. traveler interest in China.
Some are observing an increase, which they attribute to both pent-up demand and the relaxed visa policies. Others say demand is still down, even though Asia remains popular overall, and that strained relations between the U.S. and China keep some travelers away.
Intrepid Travel is among those seeing more demand. The tour operator added three itineraries for 2026 after experiencing record demand this year, said president of the Americas Leigh Barnes. As of July, passenger count in China was up 79% compared with the same period last year, and China sales are up 26% since launching the new itineraries this summer.
Tour operator Audley Travel has seen a 55% increase in China demand this year, said Lauren Coppola, product manager for China, who credits the visa policy as "a significant factor" for piquing client interest.
Victoria Cruises, which operates river cruises on the Yangtze, said U.S. bookings have jumped about 50% from last year, though they still lag 2019. Victoria spokesman Josh Kahn said that "gradual return" has been expected.
"What you have to realize is that U.S. travel to China didn't just slow down during the pandemic, it came to a complete halt," he said. "While there may be significant pent-up demand in the U.S. market ... it takes some time for the tourism infrastructure to go back."
Victoria expects next year to continue to be soft for U.S. travelers, but Kahn thinks they will return to prepandemic levels in 2027. For now, business from Europe and Australia is "very strong," he said.
Kahn said he expected the visa change to help, saying some advisors had been hesitant to sell China due to the intimidating visa process and that he's previously heard from advisors that when a client mentioned China, they would steer them toward Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam.
"Now that China has removed that barrier, the destination, I feel, is becoming easier and much more lucrative" for advisors, he said. Victoria has also resumed partnerships with tour operators like Globus, Kahn said.
Victoria Cruises thinks its U.S. traveler numbers will return to post-pandemic levels in 2027. Photo Credit: Victoria Cruises
A challenge for advisors
But not all companies are seeing China demand grow, in part due to lack of awareness of the new visa policy but also because of political tensions between China and the U.S. and the reduced airlift between the two countries, which is still way below prepandemic levels, which Intrepid's Barnes said posed a challenge in boosting China numbers.
Red Savannah, an operator that specializes in bespoke travel, said China interest has waned even as interest in Asia is up overall. George Morgan-Grenville, founder and CEO, said sales for China have "diminished quite considerably" compared to prepandemic, even as demand for Japan and other Asian countries is growing, with political tensions between China and the West among the reasons.
"Japan is certainly competing and certainly winning in terms of attracting people's interest," Morgan-Grenville said. "China, undeniably, is a fascinating country to visit, but ... what it doesn't have, or what it hasn't been capable of, is creating that propensity for people to want to go."
Margot Kong, founder of Journeys Unparalleled and a San Francisco-based China specialist, said the visa-free policy hasn't moved the needle much for her U.S. clients, even as demand has grown for South Korea and Japan.
But enticing U.S. travelers to visit China has always posed a challenge, Kong said. It's something she links to the country's tense relationship with the U.S. and misconceptions about China, such as its infrastructure and hotel stock not having changed since the 1970s.
In fact, she said, upscale, boutique lodging options have emerged even since the pandemic to accommodate the growing upper class in China who had to travel domestically while borders were closed.