Foreigners Gather in Chengdu for Festive Touch

Thanks to the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and other favorable policies, China’s inbound tourism has boomed. Among the Chinese cities that received the most bookings for flights, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Hangzhou, and other cities topped the list.

Why do popular cities like Chengdu attract so many tourists? The flavor of hotpot, the delight of tea served in gaiwan (a covered porcelain cup), the view of giant pandas, and the experience of intangible cultural heritage… For Natalia Petrova from Russia, it was her first time visiting Chengdu, and her phone calendar was packed with travel plans for the Spring Festival. “It’s festive and lively here. It really opened my eyes.” She and her friends expressed in enthusiasm that their trip to Chengdu left them wanting more. Perhaps, this is the answer.

Inbound Tourism BoomsInternational Tourists Gather in Chengdu for Chinese New Year’s Festive Touch
This year marks the first Spring Festival after “Spring festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as the first after China fully relaxed and optimized its visa-free transit policy. With the enthusiasm of many international tourists on the rise, Chengdu has become the first destination for tourists’ travel to China. Stimulated by the joint effects of the optimized visa-free transit policy and Chengdu’s initiative to facilitate convenient payment services for inbound tourism, the inbound tourism market has seen a substantial increase in the number of visitors, welcoming 16,000 inbound tourists, a 200.7% year-on-year growth; among them, inbound tourists of group tours have totaled 3,596, a 49.6% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
Natalia Petrova and her friends, who visited Chengdu for the first time, enjoyed Chinese New Year’s festive touch in Chengdu and expressed that the trip left them wanting more.
Zhou Huijie, an industry analyst from Trip.com Group Institute, said that the influx of international tourists at the beginning of 2025 and the extensive discussion of the “intangible cultural heritage version of the Spring Festival” on social media have elevated “China Travel” to “Chinese New Year”. According to data from Trip.com, the top ten countries sending the most inbound tourists to China during the Spring Festival this year were South Korea, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Russia, Australia, and France. Orders for short-haul inbound travel from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand grew by 130% compared to last year’s Spring Festival, while long-haul inbound orders from France, Spain, and similar countries increased by nearly 120%. Among the most popular destinations for inbound tourists were Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Zhuhai, Chengdu, Zhongshan, Harbin, Foshan, and Chongqing.

International Media Draw Attention to Chengdu’s Spring Festival EventsExtending New Year Greetings to Chinese People across the Globe
During this year’s Spring Festival, people from all over the world “exchanged their tourist destinations” in celebration of Chinese New Year. A lot of international faces chose to come to Chengdu for the Chinese New Year!

In the evening of January 28 (Chinese New Year’s Eve), the Associated Press extended New Year greetings through a video, where experts and scholars, including Peter Kresl (President of the Global Urban Competitiveness Project of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and Professor of economics at Bucknell University, the United States), Colin Stewart (Quantum Consultancy, the United Kingdom), and Pierre Picquart (Special Expert of NBD Think Tank Paris Center, and Founder and Former President of the Center for International Studies and Research on Contemporary China), were invited to wish the Chinese people a happy Chinese New Year.

On January 29 (the first day of the Chinese New Year), the Australian Associated Press released a special video for “Nihao Chengdu” Global Salon to extend New Year greetings to Chinese communities worldwide.

On January 30 (the second day of the Chinese New Year), South Korea’s Segye Times released a special video in Korean featuring panda cubs celebrating the Chinese New Year.

On January 31 (the third day of the Chinese New Year), Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao published an article titled “This Southern Chinese City has Snow ‘Everywhere’”, showcasing Chengdu’s charm during the Spring Festival and the booming ice and snow economy to Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries.
On February 1 (the fourth day of the Chinese New Year), Italy’s Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associate (ANSA) published an article with the theme of Chinese New Year, showcasing Chengdu’s unique blend of traditional culture and emerging elements during the Spring Festival to Italy and other European countries.
The vibrant celebration of Chinese New Year in Chengduwelcomes a new panorama of spectacle in the coming year.The festive and lively Spring Festival holiday in 2025witnessed the city’s vigorous pulse.From the beginning of the new year to the starting point of progress,Chengdu, with full vitality,is ready to embrace 2025 and forge ahead!
Source:Chengdu Discovery