For a long time, summer vacation has not been the peak season for inbound tourism in my country. However, this summer, the inbound tourism market has not only achieved "a strong off-season", but also shown a positive trend of "both quantity and quality improving". "China Cool" and "China Maxxing" have become popular cultural and tourism terms around the world, and traveling to China is becoming a trend.

This year, foreign tourists flocking to China for summer vacations has become a new highlight of the summer market. Data from the online payment platform (Alipay) shows that since June, the spending of inbound tourists has increased by 72.9% year-on-year. In addition to traditional popular cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, Harbin, Dalian, Changchun, Guiyang, and Xining are also very popular among foreign tourists.

Jin Zhun, associate researcher at the Institute of Finance and Economics Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Since the beginning of this year, China's inbound tourism market has been shifting towards "deep localized experiences," with international tourists more willing to deeply penetrate into domestic "hidden gem towns" and rural counties.

In Zhejiang, a number of small towns have successfully gained popularity by leveraging their unique water-based attractions. Tonglu County in Hangzhou launched a series of light extreme sports activities encompassing land, water, and air, attracting a large number of overseas tourists with their exhilarating and exhilarating experiences. On the rafting river at Huxiaoxia Scenic Area, rafts tumble and weave, allowing tourists to enjoy the refreshing spray of water amidst the green mountains and clear waters. After water activities, tourists can also drive mountain go-karts up the mountain to a paragliding base at an altitude of 360 meters to experience "flying with the wind."

Russian tourist Tina: This is my first time experiencing paragliding. I was a little scared at first, but I felt more at ease after taking off because the instructor was very experienced, and the scenery in front of me was so beautiful, with mountains, rivers and lakes everywhere.

From January to June this year, Changxing County in Huzhou received more than 17,500 overnight tourists, an increase of 77.79% year-on-year; recently, the indoor water park built in the area has also ushered in a surge of inbound tourism.

Mongolian tourist Ishvanchig: On such a hot day, playing in the water is definitely the most comfortable thing to do. There are so many places to play here, and they are all very close to each other, which is very convenient. We had a lot of fun.

According to statistics, foreign tourists have now visited nearly 500 cities in China. From the early popular "China Travel" to the summer hit "China Cool" and the recent viral "Chinamaxxing", trending hashtags related to travel to China are constantly emerging on overseas social media platforms.

Jin Zhun, associate researcher at the Institute of Finance and Economics Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: "Chinamaxxing" means to bring out all the Chinese elements. Many of these terms have emerged from social media. Behind them are the endless stream of new products, experiences and phenomena in Chinese tourism. The iteration of these terms actually shows that traveling to China is becoming a trend.

New scenarios and services are steadily increasing the attractiveness of "China tourism".

This summer's inbound tourism boom in China is not only reflected in summer resorts, but also in high-temperature regions. Hainan, relying on its experiential cultural and tourism new scenes and activities, as well as continuously optimized inbound tourism support services, has maintained strong inbound tourism popularity this summer despite the high temperatures.

Leveraging its visa-free policy for 86 countries, Hainan now operates 78 international passenger routes, connecting 45 cities in 25 countries and regions. Despite rising temperatures in Sanya this summer, the inbound tourism market has maintained strong growth, with June seeing a 43% year-on-year increase in inbound tourists. The local government continues to enrich its cultural and tourism product offerings and improve the facilitation of inbound tourism.

Zhang Hao, Deputy Director of the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau of Hainan Province: We are focusing on developing immersive experience products such as health and wellness, intangible cultural heritage, nighttime performances, and outdoor sports; all 14 A-level tourist attractions in the city have completed multilingual signage and explanations, implemented multilingual menus, and basically fully deployed foreign card payment terminals.

High-quality products and attentive service have attracted many overseas tourists to visit Hainan multiple times.

Russian tourist Anastasia Vladimirovna Gribishin: I really love it here. I came here once before and the overall experience was great. This time I brought my children here, and they are very happy. They all said, "We want to move to China!"

According to a survey by the China Tourism Academy, over 60% of inbound tourists list "experiencing Chinese culture" as their primary travel purpose. This summer, Maona Village, a Li ethnic village nestled in the heart of the Wuzhishan tropical rainforest in Hainan, has attracted many foreign tourists with its unique study tour programs. They visit tea gardens, participate in tea picking and tea identification processes, and immerse themselves in Chinese tea culture.

American tourist Dulce Negretop: In the United States, we only buy packaged tea leaves in stores, but here, we not only saw the complete tea-making process with our own eyes, but also picked tea leaves by hand. Only by participating in it can we appreciate its unique value.

In addition, foreign tourists also joined the villagers' bamboo pole dance team, deeply experiencing the charm of the Li ethnic group's traditional folk culture in a lively and joyful atmosphere.

Culture and technology, in a multi-dimensional way, are empowering and constructing a uniquely "cool" China.

Foreign tourists are expanding their travel radius and changing their perspectives. From cities to villages, from scenic spots to streets, a bottom-up documentary of "real China" is taking place. Hardcore manufacturing capabilities, profound cultural influence, and convenient living systems are jointly building a unique "cool" China, continuously attracting global tourists to experience China.

This summer, inbound tourism to Xi'an continued to rise. Overseas tourists are no longer limited to visiting the ancient city and experiencing the history and culture of this ancient capital. They are also incorporating smart technology experiences into their core itineraries, visiting technology stores to experience and purchase Chinese science and technology innovation products, and getting a close look at China's technological innovation strength and intelligent manufacturing charm.

Spanish tourist Isil: I think Chinese technology products are really cool. We often see related content on social media, so I came here specifically to experience them. Many products have trendy designs and stable performance, which I really like.

Spanish tourist Maria: This camera is equipped with the latest technology, it's so attractive. I think China's technological level is outstanding, and this kind of product has a real chance to be promoted all over the world.

Industry experts say that this summer's inbound tourism boom is a multi-dimensional resonance of natural scenery, cultural charm, consumer experience, and open services. It also witnesses the profound iteration of China's cultural tourism industry and the new vitality of China's opening up to the outside world. It is expected that the inbound tourism market will continue to grow in the future.

Jin Zhun, associate researcher at the Institute of Finance and Economics Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: In the second half of the year and beyond, inbound tourism can be summarized as "continuous upgrading and in-depth development". "Multi-stop tours" will become the mainstream of the market, and cross-provincial composite long-distance tours will become more and more popular. This change will significantly increase the average length of stay and total consumption of international tourists.

(Source: CCTV News reporters Ren Meimei, Pu Jiayi, Fan Shanshan, Cui Gang)