Shanghai welcomed over 6.7 million inbound tourist trips in 2024, marking an 84% rise from the previous year, driven in part by the country’s relaxed visa policies, local tourism officials reported on Thursday.

Overnight visits in Shanghai surpassed 6 million, reflecting an increase of more than 80% compared to the previous year, while the number of international tourists more than doubled to nearly 4.8 million, according to the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

The Republic of Korea, the United States, and Japan ranked as the top source countries for tourists to Shanghai, each contributing over 400,000 visitors. Meanwhile, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia saw the fastest growth in tourist arrivals, according to the administration.

Notably, Shanghai saw more than 300,000 trips from Thailand, reflecting an impressive year-on-year surge of over 300%.

The increase in inbound tourism can be partly credited to the ongoing enhancement of visa-free policies. So far, China has signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 25 countries, introduced unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, and implemented transit visa-free measures for 54 countries.

Riding the wave of the popular “China Travel” trend, which has gained significant global attention since last year, many of Shanghai's scenic spots have gone viral on international social media platforms.

In addition, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China reported on Wednesday that domestic tourism soared in 2024, with Chinese travellers taking 5.615 billion domestic trips, an increase of 724 million compared to the previous year, reflecting a 14.8% year-on-year growth, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The data showed that urban residents accounted for 4.37 billion trips, a 16.3% rise, while rural residents made 1.245 billion trips, marking a 9.9% increase.

In addition, domestic tourists in China spent 5.75 trillion Yuan ($790 billion) in 2024, an increase of 840 billion Yuan compared to 2023, reflecting a 17.1% rise in spending.

The administration announced that Shanghai will enhance its tourism services and further promote its attractions to draw in more inbound tourists.