The city of Shanghai recorded 1.743 million million international tourists in the first quarter, an increase of 37.1% in annual shift, according to data published by the Municipal Culture and Tourism Office.
Of this total, 1.259 million visits were made by foreign tourists, marking an increase of 61.9% compared to last year.
This influx is explained on the one hand by the continuous optimization of visa exemption policies as well as by the efforts made to facilitate payments and movements, and on the other hand by the unique charm of the Shanghaian metropolis and its diversified tourist offer.
The data confirm Shanghai’s attractiveness after proximity Asian markets, including the Republic of Korea (more than 200,000 visits, +142.4%), Thailand (more than 109,000 visits, +242.8%) and Japan (around 142,000 visits, +60%). The distant markets such as the United States (around 92,000 visits), Russia (around 58,000 visits) and Australia (around 46,000 visits) also have sustained growth.
To consolidate its status as a “first tourist gateway to China”, Shanghai intends to develop cultural products with a global vocation, strengthen its urban services internationally and deploy a targeted promotion strategy, in order to attract more foreign visitors “to Shanghai and China”, according to a manager of the municipal culture and tourism office in Shanghai.
