Belt and Road could boost visitor numbers

The Belt and Road Initiative will bring many opportunities for China's struggling inbound tourism sector, according to experts.

Over the past few years, outbound tourism has flourished but China has struggled to stimulate inbound tourism. As a result, the government has adopted several measures designed to boost the sector, including easing visa restrictions and offering tax refunds for overseas shoppers. For example, a 144-hour visa-free entry policy has been launched to allow foreign tourists who arrive in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang to have greater convenience and flexibility during their trips.

However, tourism insiders agree that the policies have not boosted the number of inbound tourists as much as expected.