With the successive implementation of many visa-free policies in China, the enthusiasm of overseas tourists to travel to China continues to rise. On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday this year, the inbound tour market showed a significant growth trend. The traditional festival experience and authentic cultural charm have become the core highlights of attracting international tourists. Cultural tourism departments and industry institutions in many places have taken active action to help the “China Tour” brand go to the world.
I. The popularity of inbound tours soars: traditional festivals activate cultural consumption
According to the data of the travel platform, the search volume of hotels related to inbound tourism during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday in 2025 has more than doubled year-on-year, and the keyword search volume of folk tourism and cultural tourism has increased by more than 50%. Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiaxing, Hangzhou and other cities have become popular tourist destinations. According to the forecast of Chengdu Entry-Exit Border Checkpoint, the total number of entry and exit personnel at the port during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday will reach about 510,000, and the peak number of foreign tourists entering the country in a single day is expected to reach 6,000.
In terms of the customer source structure, the Asian market occupies a dominant position. Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand are among the top four source countries for inbound tourists, with significant geographical advantages. The European and American markets have also warmed up significantly. The number of tourists from the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and other countries has grown steadily, reflecting the Chinese culture The wide attraction of tourists from all over the world.
II. Cultural experience becomes the core competitiveness: from Sichuan opera to dragon boat racing
In Chengdu Kuanzhai Alley, Emma, a tourist from the United Kingdom, sighed: “The food here is very attractive to me. There are many tourist attractions, and the traditional cultural atmosphere is strong. I like the city of Chengdu very much.” In fact, foreign tourists’ interest in traditional Chinese culture is shifting from “viewing” to “experience”. Sichuan opera face-changing, dragon boat rowing, making dumplings, Shu embroidery and other folk activities have become popular choices, and the reservation volume of related experience projects has increased by 80% year-on-year. Qin Jing, vice president of a travel platform, pointed out: “International tourists are no longer satisfied with clock-in sightseeing, but hope to deeply experience the heritage of Chinese culture. Chengdu’s teahouses, Beijing’s hutongs, Hangzhou’s Songyun cultural blocks and other scenes are reshaping the brand image of ‘China Tour’ through immersive experience.”
III. Focus on global culture and tourism: policies and industries cooperate to expand their influence
In order to further attract overseas tourists, various parts of the country have increased publicity and promotion. Recently, nearly 2,000 representatives of the cultural and tourism industry from more than 60 countries and regions around the world gathered in China to visit Jiuzhaigou, Silk Road and other key tourist routes to experience the cultural and tourism resources of various parts of China up close. Frorien Schemid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, suggested: “Providing convenient services such as free city half-day tours for inbound tourists can effectively improve their perception of local culture, which is worth learning from and promoting.”
At present, collaborative actions at the industry level are constantly increasing: many places have launched “inbound tourism green channels” on the basis of visa-free policies to optimize the customs clearance process; travel agencies have innovated and developed customized routes such as “non-heritage workshop experience” and “twenty-four solar terms theme tour”; on overseas social media platforms, “Chinese flavor・Dragon Boat Festival” The number of short videos with the theme of “love” has exceeded 500 million times, promoting the digital dissemination of Chinese cultural symbols.
IV. Industry Outlook: From Traffic Growth to Cultural Value Deep Cultivation
Industry insiders pointed out that the continuous rise of inbound tours has not only driven the growth of hotels, catering and other consumption fields, but also become an important window for the export of Chinese cultural soft power. The data shows that the per capita stay of inbound tourists has been extended from 4.2 days in 2019 to 5.8 days in 2025, and the consumption structure has also changed from a single sightseeing to a diversified model of “cultural experience + special shopping + in-depth tour”.
However, the development of the industry still faces challenges: multilingual tour guide services, cross-border payment and other infrastructure need to be further improved; the international communication path of top cultural IPs such as Terracotta Warriors and Horses and Dunhuang murals needs to be expanded; the development of low-carbon travel routes also needs to be in line with the global sustainable tourism trend. In the future, how to deepen the international expression of Chinese stories through the integration of culture and tourism will be the key proposition of “China Tour” from a regional brand to a global symbol.
With the approach of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the boom of inbound tourism is not only a short-term consumption explosion, but also marks that China is showing its profound cultural heritage and modern tourism charm to the world with an open and inclusive attitude. When traditional festivals meet the convenience of visa-free, “China tour” is becoming an important way for global tourists to decode China, and this two-way journey of culture and tourism may open a new chapter of broader development.Steadily Increase the Income of Urban and Rural Residents
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