Planning a trip to China can be confusing. Here are the issues tripping up many foreign tourists

CNN —

Traveling to China as a foreigner isn’t the simplest affair.

Visa applications can be complicated, while international flights are limited and more expensive right now due to lower demand and higher costs for many airlines to fly around Russian airspace.

And once you manage to wade through all of that, navigating this highly automated society with its own digital ecosystem can be intimidating – particularly for first-time visitors.

But things may be changing.

China has been amping up efforts to lure international travelers since reopening its doors following the pandemic at the end of 2022 by introducing more welcoming policies – and it’s asked the private sector to help, too.

The country now offers visa exemptions for dozens of nationalities, as well as a 144-hour visa-free transit policy at a growing number of ports of entry.

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Meanwhile, mobile wallet giants like Alipay and WeChat have made their apps and payment processes more foreigner-friendly by simplifying their lengthy set-up processes and accepting international credit cards.

Hotels and attractions are also being asked to accept international credit cards, which aren’t popular among merchants in China. Some cities like Beijing have launched all-in-one passes that allow travelers to electronically pay for things like attraction admissions and public transit.

Looking at the stats alone, these measures seem to be working.

China welcomed about 14 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2024, a 152.7% increase from 2023, according to the country’s National Immigration