A delegation of 12 British and Irish tourists organized by the Chinese Tourism Office in London departed for Guangzhou on the evening of December 9th on a flight operated by China Southern Airlines, embarking on a more than ten day in-depth exploration tour of the southern region of China. This trip not only covers the exploration of cultural and tourism resources in multiple cities in Guangdong and Hainan provinces, but also the delegation will attend the China International Tourism Fair held in Haikou from December 19th to 21st, building a practical bridge for further expanding tourism cooperation between China and the UK. It is reported that this is the 9th batch of travel inspection activities organized by the Chinese Tourism Office in London this year. Up to now, the office has successfully organized 8 batches of 143 representatives of British mainstream travel agencies, well-known tourism writers and online opinion leaders to carry out field visits in more than 10 provinces and cities, including Guizhou, Guangxi, Xizang, Yunnan, etc., effectively expanding the British tourism market channels to China, and significantly improving the influence of Chinese cultural and tourism resources in the British tourism industry. In addition to the 12 person delegation, another 10 British tour operators will take Hainan Airlines' flights from Manchester to Haikou to participate in relevant activities. The intensive visit of the inspection team to China is a footnote to the comprehensive recovery of tourism exchanges between China, the UK, and China Ireland. Data shows that the UK is an important European source country for inbound tourism to China. In 2024, the number of UK tourists visiting China ranked 8th among all foreign inbound tourists, far ahead of European countries. According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics, a total of 615000 British tourists visited China in 2024, returning to 95% of the same period in 2019, and this number will continue to rise in 2025. The continuous enhancement of airline capacity has provided a solid guarantee for tourism exchanges. At present, there are 21 direct flights between China and the UK, connecting London, Manchester, Edinburgh and 11 major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The number of round-trip flights per week is up to 228, an increase of 35% over 2019. The number of routes and the recovery ratio are both among the first in Europe to China. The active exploration by British and Irish travel merchants is driven by the sustained popularity of China's inbound tourism market. According to data from China's online travel platform Ctrip, the number of inbound tourists is expected to double by 2025 compared to the previous year; As of the end of September, the total number of foreign arrivals and departures has exceeded the annual level of 2024, with over 25 million foreign tourists arriving in China in the first eight months. If the trend continues, it is expected to exceed 35 million for the whole year, setting a new historical high. Among them, the visa free policy has become an important catalyst for market recovery. In the first three quarters of 2025, about 21 million foreign tourists entered the country with visa free entry, a year-on-year increase of 50%, accounting for more than 70% of all inbound visitors. The strong growth of inbound tourism in China is attributed to the multiple forces of facilitation policies, enriched cultural experience supply, and improved service levels. According to data from the State Administration of Taxation, the number of overseas tourists applying for departure tax refunds increased by 229.8% year-on-year in the first nine months of this year, and comprehensive facilitation measures such as payment and visa continue to stimulate market vitality. At the same time, tourist destinations are becoming increasingly diversified, with the number of inbound tourists from traditional popular cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu increasing by over 90%. With the rise of "cultural experience tourism" and "deep tourism", the footprint of foreign tourists has penetrated more urban and rural areas in China. The well-known British travel media "Tourism Review" recently published an article highly praising the recovery of inbound tourism in China and its opening up to the outside world, pointing out that convenient policies such as relaxed visa thresholds are key factors in attracting foreign tourists. From the travel sharing on social media platforms, the unique charm of Chinese culture and tourism precisely meets the needs of international tourists: the unique cultural combination is fascinating, and the integration experience of the Great Wall, intangible cultural heritage, markets, cuisine, and ethnic festivals is irreplaceable; The leading infrastructure is astonishing, with high-speed rail speeds, clean cities, and highly digitized travel environments, making many foreign tourists feel that 'China is like the future world'; The ultra-high cost-effectiveness and safe and friendly tourism environment have become important highlights of word-of-mouth promotion. The Guangdong and Hainan regions visited by British and Irish travelers this time are typical representatives of China's cultural and tourism resources. In Guangdong, the inspection team will explore the urban vitality of Guangzhou, the Chaoshan culture of Chaozhou and Shantou, and the innovative charm of Shenzhen; In Hainan, in addition to attending the Tourism Expo, we will also visit many places such as Sanya and Danzhou. It is worth mentioning that this year's China International Tourism Fair has landed in Hainan for the first time, and is expected to attract tourism organizations from over 100 countries and regions to participate. The six carefully planned boutique tourism routes in Hainan will showcase the unique charm of "China Free Trade Port · World Resort Island" in a panoramic manner. Zhang Li, Director of the Chinese Tourism Office in London, stated that tourism is a bridge of friendship connecting China and the world. This inspection activity will further promote deep cooperation between the Chinese and British tourism industries, allowing more British people to discover the beauty of China and injecting new momentum into the continuous warming of tourism exchanges between China and the UK. (New Society)