BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China's inbound tourism has continued to gain momentum as the country further strengthened policy support to attract more international tourists by easing access and improving their overall travel experience.

More foreign visitors are choosing to head for destinations beyond the country's major cities, attracted by opportunities to experience unique cultural experiences or stock up on Chinese specialties like digital products and collectibles, guest speakers told the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

Official data showed that China's inbound tourist arrivals soared 60.8 percent year on year to 132 million in 2024, which is about 97.2 percent of the 2019 level. These tourists spent a total of 94.2 billion U.S. dollars in the country, surging 77.8 percent from a year ago.

The momentum has continued into 2025, with inbound tourist arrivals rising 19.6 percent year on year in the first quarter, according to Shi Zeyi, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Qin Jing, vice president of Chinese online travel service giant Trip.com Group, said foreign visitors were venturing beyond metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai to explore destinations like Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xi'an.

"We have seen foreign visitors learning tea-making in Wuyi Mountain and face-changing performance in Chengdu during the May Day holiday," Qin told the roundtable. Her company's inbound tourist orders more than doubled during the five-day holiday compared to last year.

She said Trip.com is also witnessing a remarkable growth in orders from younger foreign tourists, with the previous demographic aged between 50 and 60.

The booming trend of "China Travel" is built on recent measures such as expanding mutual visa exemptions and unilateral visa-free access, as well as extend visa-free entry stays.

As of now, China has established comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 29 countries, implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, and transit visa-free policies for 54 countries.

Meanwhile, the country has introduced a package of measures to stimulate inbound spending. Apart from shifting to a refund-upon-purchase model for departure tax refunds, China has also rolled out more policy support, with steps to lower the minimum purchase threshold for refunds, raise the cash refund ceiling and widen the range of products eligible.

These policies reflect China's commitment to opening up and could have far-reaching impacts by fostering deeper understanding between China and the international community, and altering stereotypes, said Liu Jia, an official with the National Immigration Administration.

"An open, inclusive, prosperous and safe China is being seen, felt and recognized by the world," Liu told the roundtable.

Tong Xuejun, an official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China would negotiate more visa-waiver and visa facilitation agreements, and work to improve the online visa application system for foreign visitors.

In the latest move, China announced last week that starting June 1, nationals of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay will be eligible for visa-free entry into China for a trial period ending May 31, 2026.

Shi with the culture and tourism ministry said China will work to further improve visa processes, payment systems, travel logistics, and accommodation options for foreign tourists, while providing customized tour packages tailored to diverse groups, including backpackers, business travelers, and senior visitors.

To promote inbound spending, China will also open more duty-free shops and broaden the range of goods eligible for instant tax refunds, especially to include high-tech products like smartphones, smartwatches and drones, he added.

"China is welcoming global tourists with greater openness, richer experiences and smarter services," Shi said, pledging to make China a more captivating world-class tourist destination. ■