Southeast Asia Tourism to China Jumps After Visa Rules Ease

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China in recent months has loosened visa restrictions in an bid to boost both tourism to the country and investment. Photographer: Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — China is regaining its status as a hotspot for Southeast Asian tourists lured by new visa-free entry programs and easier access to the mainland’s cashless payment systems, according to the chief executive of booking platform Klook Travel Technology Ltd.

Reservations from Southeast Asia into the mainland so far in 2024 have been “several times” higher than pre-pandemic levels, Ethan Lin, Klook’s chief executive, said in an interview at the UBS Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong. Overall inbound travel to the mainland could fully recover to pre-Covid figures by 2025, he added.