China's visa-free waivers spark Korean travel boom, underpin tourism revivalListen to this articlePeople walk on a pedestrian bridge in the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai on July 14, 2025. Her experience underscores Shanghai's continued appeal as one of the most popular destinations for South Korean tourists - a trend boosted by China's 30-day visa-free entry policy that was introduced in November 2024. Global booking platform Agoda also recently named Shanghai a top destination for South Korean travellers in its 2026 New Horizons ranking, based on accommodation data from the past two years. He noted that other cities, including Chengdu, Qingdao and Hainan, were slowly beginning to attract the interest of South Korean travellers, particularly those who had positive experiences in Shanghai. "Going forward, Shanghai travellers' experiences are likely to spread across the country, paving the way for a broader 'rediscovery' of travel in China," Jang said.

Source: Bangkok Post February 02, 2026 08:16 UTC