China trips 2025: record numbers and discover new favorite destinations!

China trips 2025: record numbers and discover new favorite destinations!

The global fascination with travel to China has reached new heights in 2025. In the first quarter of this year, China recorded 17.44 million foreign arrivals and departures, an impressive increase of 33.4% year-on-year. Especially during the May holidays (May 1-5), this number rose to 1.12 million, an increase of 43.1%, as china.org.cn reported.

Holidaymakers are showing a growing inclination towards individual trips and are looking for lesser-known regions away from the classic hotspots such as Beijing and Shanghai. Cities such as Zhuhai, Qingdao and Wuhan recorded significant increases in hotel bookings by foreign travelers during the May holidays - by 70%, 60% and 50% year-on-year.

Popular travel destinations and shopping trends

Smaller cities such as Suzhou, Huzhou and Foshan are now among the top 20 most popular travel destinations. Over 60% of respondents to a China Tourism Academy survey said experiencing Chinese culture was a main reason for their trip. In addition, China has optimized its tax-free policy for foreign travelers, which led to an increase in bookings for shopping destinations during the May holidays. Cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen saw huge increases of 138% and 188%, respectively.

Another incentive for foreign tourists are the continuously adjusted visa regulations. While German citizens can travel to China visa-free for up to 30 days until December 31, 2025, there is also a visa-free transit time of up to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries. In 2024, 20.12 million visa-free entries have already been recorded, an increase of 112.3% compared to the previous year. There were 380,000 visa-free entries during the May holidays, an increase of 72.7%.

Safety and travel advice

Despite the increasing willingness to travel, there are important safety aspects to consider. The security situation, particularly in Xinjiang, has been tightened and police presence and controls have been increased. The Federal Foreign Office recommends that travelers make sure they have adequate travel health insurance and are registered in the crisis preparedness list. Holidaymakers should also find out about the entry regulations from the relevant authorities, as there may be bans on leaving the country for foreigners living in China, for example.

The crime rate in China is comparatively low, but petty crime and scams are common. There have also been reports of knife attacks on foreigners in various cities since autumn 2023. Travelers should also take local conditions into account as the country lies in a seismically active zone and natural events such as earthquakes or floods can occur during the rainy season.

In terms of infrastructure, China offers a well-developed domestic flight network and modern railway connections, which make traveling within the country much easier. However, travelers should note that taking liquids in hand luggage on flights is prohibited, unless they are cosmetic products in small quantities.

To further increase China's attractiveness as a travel destination, the Chinese government plans to increase the number of duty-free shops and expand the range of tax-refundable products, especially for high-tech devices. This shows that China not only wants to benefit from tourist numbers, but is also actively working to improve the shopping experience.