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China grants 30-day visa-free entry for UK citizens
During UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China last week, Beijing agreed to ease relevant rules, allowing UK citizens to enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days. By the end of 2025, China had already extended its unilateral visa-free policy for countries including France through the end of 2026. At the time, the UK had not yet been included in China’s “visa-free circle,” and the Chinese embassy and consulates in the UK had continued to process five- or ten-year multiple-entry visas for eligible British citizens traveling for business, tourism, or family visits. In fact, the recovery of air routes and passenger flows predates the visa waiver announcement and has long been one of the most direct indicators of improving bilateral ties. Between January 19 and March 23, 2026, China Southern Airlines increased the frequency of its direct Guangzhou–London service from one daily flight to eight flights per week, operating the route with Boeing 787-9 aircraft. From the supply side, China–UK passenger routes have now entered a relatively steady phase of recovery. Data show that in the first three quarters of 2025, nearly 12,000 direct flights operated between China and the UK, with round-trip passenger traffic rising 4.0% year on year. Across 23 direct routes linking Chinese cities with the UK, total passenger volume reached 3.0286 million. Load factors on major hub routes have stabilized at around 86%, while secondary hub routes recorded an average load factor of 70.3%. The recovery in air capacity has quickly translated into momentum in the tourism market. VisitBritain forecasts that Chinese arrivals to the UK will reach 667,000 in 2026, representing a 28% increase from the estimated level in 2025, and are expected to generate approximately £1.3 billion (about RMB 12.17 billion) in tourism revenue for the UK economy. Read Chinese version
India, China, and Southeast Asia drive air travel growth
Representative Image Asia is set to become the powerhouse of global aviation growth, with India, China, and Southeast Asia predicted to dominate eight of the world's ten fastest-growing air travel markets from 2024 to 2044. This projection comes from a whitepaper released by Alton Aviation Consultancy ahead of the 2026 Singapore Airshow. The report reveals that international traffic in the Asia-Pacific region surged by 8.0% in 2025, surpassing the global Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) growth of 6.8%. Since 2015, airlines in the region have introduced over 600 new routes, enhancing connectivity to underserved destinations. India emerges as a key player, driven by strong economic fundamentals and a burgeoning middle class. Whilst China maintains its dominant position, Southeast Asia, led by Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, is also gaining momentum. Mabel Kwan, Managing Director at Alton's Singapore office, noted, “Asia’s air travel story is no longer just about China. The growth we’re seeing in South and Southeast Asia is broad-based.” The whitepaper also highlights the potential of unserved routes, with longer-range narrowbody aircraft enabling new point-to-point services between secondary cities. Additionally, Asia-Pacific now accounts for approximately 40% of global air cargo demand, underscoring the region's pivotal role in global supply chains. Airline consolidation is on the rise as carriers adapt to cost pressures and competitive challenges. Adam Cowburn, another Managing Director at Alton, remarked, “Consolidation has become a strategic necessity for many airlines in Asia.” Governments and airport operators are responding by advancing infrastructure programmes and adopting next-generation technologies to enhance capacity and efficiency, supporting the region's continued aviation growth This story was selected and published by a human editor, with content adapted from original press material using AI tools. Spot an error? Report it here.
China grants visa-free entry to British visitors
China has announced a significant change in its travel policy, allowing British citizens to enter the country without a visa for up to 30 days. This development is expected to enhance both leisure and business travel between the UK and China, which has already seen a strong recovery over the past two years due to improved flight connectivity and growing commercial relationships. Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, expressed her support for the decision, stating, "We warmly welcome China's decision to grant British citizens visa-free entry for up to 30 days. Today's announcement is a significant milestone that will undoubtedly accelerate this momentum across both leisure and business travel." The Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK's leading network of travel businesses, advocates for seamless travel as a means of fostering cultural exchange and economic growth. Lo Bue-Said advised travellers to book through local Advantage travel agents to ensure compliance with travel requirements and to secure the best deals on flights and accommodation. This policy change is poised to make China more accessible to British travellers, potentially increasing tourism and strengthening economic ties between the two nations. With Advantage Travel Partnership's extensive network, British visitors can expect expert guidance and support in navigating their travel plans under the new visa-free rules. ``` This story was selected and published by a human editor, with content adapted from original press material using AI tools. Spot an error? Report it here.
China travel slowdown weighs on Japan as Chinese spending and arrivals slide
The decline in Chinese travel and spending to Japan is beginning to weigh on the Japanese market. Against the backdrop of a travel caution advisory for Japan issued by the Chinese government, China’s three major airlines—Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines—along with several others including Shandong Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, on the 26 again issued notices on special ticket handling for Japan-related routes. For tickets that meet the applicable conditions, free refund and rebooking policies have been extended until October 24 this year. More recently released data from Japanese industry associations have provided a clearer picture of the situation. The Japan Department Stores Association (Chuo Ward, Tokyo) said on January 23 that in December 2025, both the number of Chinese customers and sales to Chinese shoppers at department stores nationwide fell by 40% year on year. Data released the same day showed that total nationwide department store sales in December 2025 (on a same-store basis) declined 1.1% year on year to JPY 654.2 billion, marking the first drop in four months. The number of tax-free shoppers fell 16.7% to 500,000, while tax-free sales decreased 17.1% to JPY 51.9 billion(about USD 340 million). Sales to domestic Japanese customers rose 0.6%. According to statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of Chinese visitors to Japan in December 2025 totaled 330,400, down 45.3% year on year. The Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau said on January 26 that the number of mainland Chinese visitors to Osaka Prefecture in December 2025 fell 45% year on year to an estimated 176,000. As Chinese visitors—previously a key driver of inbound growth—are expected to continue declining, attracting travelers from Europe, the United States and other regions is becoming increasingly important. Statistics from Kansai Airports show that the number of China-related flight movements at Kansai International Airport in December 2025 declined 40% year on year. Demand dropped particularly sharply on routes from regional Chinese cities, which typically carry a higher share of group travelers. Given Kansai’s geographic proximity to China, mainland Chinese visitors have historically accounted for a higher share of foreign tourists than in the Tokyo metropolitan area. During the 2010s, mainland Chinese group tours—often associated with large-scale shopping sprees—formed the core of inbound tourism to Osaka. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery of mainland Chinese visitors has lagged, while inbound demand has become more diversified, with more travelers from South Korea, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. According to the Japan Tourism Agency’s accommodation travel statistics, mainland Chinese travelers accounted for 25.3% of all foreign overnight stays in Osaka Prefecture in October 2025, down 16.2 percentage points from October 2019. While the share remains higher than Tokyo’s 14.8%, Osaka’s reliance on mainland Chinese visitors has clearly shifted. Read Chinese version
Another foreign airline ramps up new China routes
Starting January 22, Cambodia Angkor Air plans to launch the Nanjing–Phnom Penh route, operating three flights per week with A320 aircraft. This will be Nanjing’s first direct flight to Phnom Penh. For many travelers from Nanjing, getting to Phnom Penh previously usually means connecting via Guangzhou or Kunming, with total travel time often stretching to 10 hours or more, much of it spent transfers and waiting. The operating carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), is Cambodia’s flag carrier, and it also undertakes charter flights for the royal family and the prime minister. In the 2025/2026 winter–spring season, CAA will expand its China-related network to eight routes, including: Phnom Penh–Zhengzhou, Phnom Penh–Hong Kong, Phnom Penh–Guangzhou, Phnom Penh–Shenzhen, Phnom Penh–Fuzhou, Phnom Penh–Nanning, Sihanoukville–Shenzhen, and Fuzhou–Tokyo. This is no longer simply “testing” the China market. Instead, China is being positioned as a core source market and an integral part of the airline’s network hub strategy. Beyond route expansion, Cambodia Angkor Air has also confirmed that it will begin operating China-made C909 aircraft on commercial flights starting in 2026. Previously, CAA signed a memorandum of understanding with COMAC to purchase 20 C909 aircraft, including 10 firm orders and 10 options. As flight connectivity continues to increase, Cambodia is also sending clearer signals on tourism policy. The Cambodian government has announced a pilot visa-free policy for Chinese citizens from June to October 2026. On the day the policy was announced, search volumes for “Cambodia” on OTA platforms rose 20% day-on-day.
Philippines seeks more arrivals from North America, China, India, & MidEast
The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) plans to expand its promotions budget for several key and emerging markets in 2026, including the United States, South Korea, Canada, China, India and the Middle East. Tourism secretary Christina Frasco said the DOT intends to fully recover the South Korean market, which slipped to 1.34 million last year from 1.45 million in 2024. She added that the DOT will also capitalise on the US as one of the country’s most reliable markets to pull the arrival numbers for 2026. With regard to Canada, the DOT is optimistic that the new connections through Air Canada would bring in more Canadian tourists into the country. 2025 in a nutshell The Philippines recorded 6.4 million foreign visitors and returning overseas Filipinos in 2025, generating an estimated PHP694 billion in tourism receipts. Of this number, South Korea remains the top market, followed by the US with 1.32 million visitors, Japan with 469,521, Australia with 359,646, and Canada with 333,136. China ranked sixth with 237,101 while India ranked 11th with 104,994 visitors from January to December 2025. Into the east Looking ahead, the DOT will also ramp up promotional activity in China as the Philippines eases its visa policy for Chinese nationals, allowing them visa-entry of up to 14 days in the country. Frasco remarked: “China has been challenging, to say the least. So, for China specifically, we’re working with our Beijing and Shanghai offices plus the private sector. We will have a very specific targeted campaign in certain cities even as we work with the airlines to recover the pre-pandemic flights.” It was noted that inbound flights to the Philippines from China are only up to 50 percent of their pre-pandemic totals, so the new visa policy stands to be of good help. Likewise, the Philippines sees promising growth from the Middle East, particularly from the United Arab Emirates market whose leisure travelers coming into the country have increased significantly over the past year. UAE flag carrier Emirates is also requesting increased slots from the UAE to Manila as well as the retention or expansion of their Cebu and Clark flights.
DHL launches TRUCKAIR for China-Europe shipments
DHL Global Forwarding has introduced TRUCKAIR, a new multimodal service designed to enhance logistics between China and Europe. This service, launched on 22 January 2026, combines road and air freight to provide a cost-efficient solution for large-volume shipments, addressing the increasing demand for flexible logistics amidst changing global trade dynamics. TRUCKAIR begins with inland pickup in China, where goods are transported by lorry to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. From there, they are flown to Istanbul and subsequently distributed across Europe. This approach allows customers to save significantly—reportedly six-digit figures—compared to traditional air freight. The transit time from China to Türkiye is approximately 9 to 11 days, only slightly longer than the 4 to 7 days typical for air freight alone. The service is particularly timely as demand for agile logistics solutions rises, with tight capacity and rate increases anticipated around the Chinese New Year. Aditi Rasquinha, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Greater China, noted that TRUCKAIR was developed to meet the growing need for flexibility and predictability in cross-border shipments, enabling businesses to manage costs without sacrificing speed. Designed for high-volume general cargo, TRUCKAIR offers a viable alternative to air freight, maintaining delivery timelines suitable for industries like retail. Customers can also integrate TRUCKAIR with DHL's broader services for customised supply chain solutions. DHL's strategic design of TRUCKAIR underscores China's role as a global trade hub, leveraging its logistics infrastructure and technology adoption to maintain strong international market connectivity. This service helps businesses navigate supply chain challenges and serves as a gateway for Asia-Pacific markets to access Europe efficiently. ```
2026’s first hot money-making play: Medical trips to China
Recently, major hospitals in China’s first-tier cities have started seeing an increasing number of foreign patients from around the world. After the visa-free policy was expanded, more and more foreigners have been flocking to China for medical treatment. The reasons behind this trend are not only the country’s exceptional healthcare efficiency but also the boost from its visa-free entry policies. By July 30, 2025, China had implemented unilateral or mutual visa exemptions for citizens of 75 countries, and the number of countries with transit visa exemptions had expanded to 55. According to official data, by December 16, 2025, the number of foreign arrivals at all ports of entry had surpassed 40 million, a year-on-year increase of 27.2%. As inbound tourism continues to recover rapidly, some foreign consumers’ demand has shifted from “touring China” to “seeking medical care.” With the growing interest in foreigners coming to China for healthcare, some in the domestic market have realized that “bringing foreigners to China for medical treatment” could become a new profitable trend in the inbound tourism sector. This group includes English-speaking medical escorts providing translation services, entrepreneurs in the “medical tourism” industry who facilitate foreign patients coming to China, as well as professionals with clinical medical backgrounds. When a foreign tourist visits China for travel, stays at hotels, buys duty-free goods, or comes for health checkups, medical treatment, and rehabilitation, these activities do not require subsidies or take up land quotas yet they can directly drive employment, service revenue, and local tax income. So, if you ask whether “bringing foreigners to China for medical treatment” will be the most profitable sector in 2026, we may not have a definitive answer right now, but it is undoubtedly poised to become an increasingly important piece of the puzzle in China’s inbound consumption ecosystem.
Canada’s visa-free travel to China: who gains most?
During the Canadian Prime Minister’s recent visit to China, Chinese authorities signaled a potential move to introduce a visa-free policy for Canadian visitors. In an X.com post, Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “China has committed to soon allowing Canadians to visit without a visa.” Carney noted that the statement also signals a broader improvement in China-Canada personnel exchanges. According to Statistics Canada (2021 Census), the Chinese Canadian population totals approximately 1.72 million, accounting for 4.7% of the country’s total population. For a long time, visiting family and friends has been the most stable and non-discretionary travel demand between China and Canada. Visa requirements have long added friction—a “gentle barrier”—to these trips. If visa-free access is implemented, the first demand likely to rebound will be the long-suppressed flow of family visits. For Canada, these travelers typically stay longer and spend more steadily, forming a high-quality base for inbound tourism. In addition, many second- and third-generation Chinese Canadians may combine family visits with tourism, creating a hybrid travel pattern. Signs of market recovery have already emerged. During the peak summer season of July 2025, passenger traffic on China-Canada routes continued to rise, reaching 268,700 passengers across 12 direct routes nationwide, with an average load factor of 92.7%. The recovery in South China has been particularly notable: China Southern Airlines resumed the Guangzhou–Vancouver route, stepping directly into competion with existing services from Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Among them, the Hong Kong–Vancouver route, with its high frequency and strong demand, has long been one of the busiest intercontinental route between China and Canada, maintaining a load factor of around 90%, providing a solid foundation for additional capacity across the region.
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