China has continued to optimize its international air links this year amid surging inbound tourism brought by expanded visa-free policies and a growing "China travel" trend which is drawing more foreign visitors keen to come and experience the country for themselves.

China already recorded a more than 20-percent rise in international visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, with visa-free entries accounting for nearly 78 percent of the total, according to the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, and that trend has continued throughout the summer months.
With a growing number of international visitors opting to tour China, staff have observed a steady increase in foreign travelers passing through the main airport in the southern megacity of Shenzhen so far this summer.
"We obviously feel that inbound tourism is booming right now. There are many foreign passengers on almost every flight. Among inbound foreign visitors, those coming for sightseeing and leisure accounted for 47.1 percent, a surge of 48.3 percent," said Ye Xianmao, an official of Shenzhen Airport Border Inspection Station.
The rising tourism demand has also spurred the steady growth of China's international air links, signaling a positive recovery in the aviation sector.
The country's leading carriers, including Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern among others have recently resumed flights to and from key European destinations including Madrid, Milan, and Amsterdam.
In June alone, Chinese airlines opened 50 international routes.
According to the latest data, China's international routes handled over 40 million passenger trips in the first half of this year, up 5.7 percent year on year, with this expanding international network bolstering the country's high-standard opening-up efforts and delivering an economic boost.