Starting November 8, China will extend the visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein and the Republic of Korea on a trial basis. From November 8, 2024, to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from these nine countries will be exempt from visas to enter China and can stay for no more than 15 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit purposes. To date, China has granted visa exemptions unilaterally to nearly 30 countries.

The number of countries eligible for China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy has reached 54. Xi'an, one of the visa-free cities, has welcomed many foreign visitors.

Xi'an's international flights are gradually resuming and being updated. The direct flight route from Xi'an to Paris has just been launched, and there are upcoming direct international flights to Nagoya, Japan, Vientiane, Laos, and Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Due to favorable visa-free policies and the resumption of international flights, the number of international travelers entering China has significantly increased. Since the beginning of this year, over 100,000 foreigners have entered the country through the Xi'an port, making it a popular new entry point for foreign tourists.

Data from Trip.com, a global travel service provider based in China, indicates that during the National Day holiday, inbound travel orders to Shaanxi increased by 152% compared to the previous year. Additionally, Xi'an saw a 151% growth in inbound travel orders, making it one of the top ten most popular inbound travel destinations in the country.

The primary source countries for inbound tourists to Xi'an include South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Wang Yalei, an industry analyst at the Ctrip Research Institute, commented, "In addition to well-known tourist cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, other cities like Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Xi'an have also emerged as popular first stops for foreign visitors."

In 2024, various foreign tourism departments organized media tours to Xi'an to better understand the city's tourism resources and cultural heritage. Leading media outlets and news agencies from Africa, Europe, and Asia participated in these tours.

Among the major attractions in Xi'an, the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and Xi'an City Wall have become popular destinations for foreign tourists. In April of this year, Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum launched an overseas service platform, allowing foreign visitors to book tickets online from their home countries, use their local currency for payment, and go directly to the entrance with their passports to queue for entry upon arrival.

All 5A-rated scenic spots in Xi'an allow purchases with overseas bank cards. For instance, at the Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area, visitors can quickly buy tickets and enter through the 12 gates of the city wall using overseas bank cards that display Visa, MasterCard, or UnionPay logos. Additionally, payments with overseas bank cards are accepted at the Xi'an Metro, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, and Xi'an Railway Station, making it much easier for foreign visitors to manage their travel expenses.