China Focus: China's inbound tourism boom strains supply of foreign language guides

SHENYANG -- Sui Yuwei, a senior English tour guide, has never been as busy as he is now.

In China's northeastern city of Shenyang, a hub of history and culture in Liaoning province, Sui -- with 17 years of experience -- maintains an unprecedented overloaded schedule with six guided tours every week, a 30 percent jump in tour requests, and jammed lectures to train new guides working in foreign languages.

"I wish I could clone myself!" He jokes.

As China continues to ease its visa-free entry policies, cities across the country are welcoming a flood of overseas tourists filled with curiosity and excitement. Amid the booming trend of China Travel, multilingual guides like Sui have become a vital bridge for cultural exchange between China and the world.

A Shenyang local, Sui is skilled at delivering detailed English narratives about the Shenyang Imperial Palace and the Liaoning Provincial Museum. He elucidates China's history and traditional culture in a manner accessible to foreign visitors, covering everything from the stylistic features of various ancient structures to the classic tales of dynastic changes.

Since last year, he has noticed a significant increase in the demand for foreign language tour guides, with the number of business inquiries in January surging by over 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

Since November 2023, China's visa-free transit policy has undergone continuous adjustments and optimization. Implementing the latest 240-hour visa-free transit policy has significantly boosted inbound tourism. Last year, over 20.1 million foreign visitors entered China under the visa exemption policy, marking a year-on-year increase of 113.5 percent in eligible transit visa-exemption travelers.

In Shenyang alone, during this year's Spring Festival holiday, the number of inbound tourism orders increased by 65 percent year on year, with the primary source countries being the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, and Singapore. Local travel agencies organized advanced foreign language training for tour guides to meet this demand and enhance their communication skills with international visitors.

According to data from the online travel platform Trip.com, after China implemented a visa-free policy for ROK and eight other countries in November 2024, the year-on-year growth rate of inbound tourism orders from ROK exceeded 150 percent within less than a month.

Sun Guizhen, president of the tour guide professional committee under the China Association of Travel Services, told Xinhua that there are currently about 660,000 certified tour guides in China, of which foreign language-speaking guides account for just 8.4 percent. The continuous warming of the inbound tourism market has made the shortage of tour guides in multiple languages increasingly evident.

In Shanghai, the viral "Weekend in China" social media trend among ROK travelers has flooded landmarks like the Bund. Local agencies are rehiring retired guides and recruiting bilingual college graduates to serve these tourists.

According to Sui, the growing number of foreign tourists returning to China significantly contributes to the shortage of foreign language tour guides. "Many foreign visitors who initially come to Shenyang for business often reach out to me again, this time as tourists, requesting my services to explore more cities across China," Sui explained.

Data from Trip.com further underscores this trend, showing that in 2024, one out of every four inbound foreign travelers had visited China more than once. The country's unique charm and diverse attractions have successfully transformed many first-time visitors into repeat tourists, highlighting China's enduring appeal as a top travel destination.

Eyeing the positive market potential, travel agencies across China are prompting swift adjustments to their business strategies and service expansions. Sui himself also co-founded a foreign language tour guide training program. The initiative has trained nearly 300 individuals, equipping them to meet the growing demand for skilled guides.

China's "visa-free circle" is still expanding, further fueling the tourism boom. Since February 10, tourist groups from ASEAN countries can enjoy visa-free entry to Xishuangbanna, a hot tourist destination in Southwest China's Yunnan province. During a press conference on Feb 12, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its commitment to optimizing entry policies and broadening the scope of visa-free arrangements.

"The visa-free policies and streamlined entry measures are making it easier for foreign tourists to explore China and immerse themselves in its culture. We are dedicated to sharing the depth and beauty of Chinese culture with them through our expertise and enthusiasm," said Sui.