A plane takes off from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]
Xiamen was honored as the "2024 Most Internationally Influential Inbound Tourism City" at the 2025 Weibo Tourism Night Awards Ceremony held in Luoyang, Henan province, on June 20. Today, Xiamen has become a popular destination among inbound tourists from Southeast Asia, Oceania, and many other regions.
The recognition was based on Sina Weibo's comprehensive evaluation of China's major inbound tourism destinations. The assessment incorporated metrics such as big data analytics, overseas IP searches, reviews by international travel bloggers, and inbound tourism promotion performance.
Xiamen was awarded for its role as "the first stop for Southeast Asian tourists in building a new international tourism corridor". During short layovers, travelers can explore Xiamen’s famous attractions, savor authentic local cuisine, and experience the unique charm of Minnan (southern Fujian) culture.
Additionally, international tourists can enter China through Xiamen and then take connecting flights to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paris, France, New York, the United States, and other global destinations, enjoying innovative travel experiences like "multi-country cultural exploration tours".
In 2024, Xiamen received over 2.3 million international overnight visitors, marking a 200 percent year-on-year increase. The city's online search popularity among overseas IPs consistently ranked among China's top five destinations.
China has decided to extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the United Kingdom starting from Feb 17.
Forty-one new port-of-entry duty-free shops have been established nationwide, with Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, Xiamen Wutong Passenger Wharf, and Xiamen International Cruise Center included on the list.
