(Yicai) March 12 -- Chinese airline industry leaders have suggested ways to boost foreign tourist numbers to the nation, as China lengthens the list of the countries whose citizens do not need a visa to visit.

Misconceptions, unknowns, and habitual problems are key reasons preventing foreigners from traveling to China, Wang Yu, chairman of Shanghai-based Spring Airlines and a national committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told the CPPCC, one of China’s two top annual policy-setting meetings.

He proposed strengthening regulation of the tourism industry and improving the convenience of services such as internet access, mobile payments, online bookings, and foreign language translations on road signs. It is the sixth consecutive year that Wang has made proposals to the CPPCC on inbound tourism.

Wang also suggested strengthening the role of social media as a means to enhance China’s reputation and appeal as a travel destination.

China's inbound tourism market has grown over the past six years, Wang noted, adding that the number of visa-free entries surged 112 percent to just over 21 million last year from 2023.

China has mutual visa-free agreements with 26 countries and unilateral visa waivers for 38 more, while the citizens of 54 nations can enjoy visa-free transit. Last December, China extended the visa-free transit period from 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours (10 days) and increased the number of ports of entry for visa-free transit travelers to 60.

Visa waivers are a good opportunity for inbound tourism, but the sector needs to boost its overseas publicity, said Wang Junjin, chairman of Juneyao Airlines and also a CPPCC national committee member. Just like airlines coordinate with local tourism organizations and scenic spots when opening new international routes, the same must be done to attract foreign tourists, he pointed out.

Civil aviation can be used to spur consumption, noted Zhao Dong, chairman of Xiamen Airlines and a CPPCC national committee member. Subsidised airfares for specific regions or different lengths of stay can be introduced to boost tourism consumption, he said.

The CPPCC and the National People’s Congress are together known as the Two Sessions. They meet each March to consider proposals and set the country's political and economic priorities for the year ahead. This year’s CPPCC ran from March 4 to 10, while the NPC spanned March 5 to yesterday.

Editor: Martin Kadiev