Inbound tourism surges on curiosity about evolving China

New storytellers

Visa-free entry can open the door, but content determines whether people choose to walk through it, many industry operators said.

Trip.com chairman James Liang announced that the company aims to attract 200 million inbound visitors over the next five years.

The tourism industry has already begun to adapt. Nearly 90 percent of inbound tourism employees have received some form of professional training. New job categories are emerging, ranging from inbound travel "customizers" to multilingual "experience designers" and cross-cultural content creators.

Yet, the industry's response remains uneven. While nearly two-thirds of practitioners feel service expectations have grown more demanding, fewer than 15 percent said lack of training is the main problem.

To become an outstanding guide for international visitors takes five to 10 years, Yang said. "Language ability, cultural fluency and the confidence to navigate complex conversations cannot be developed overnight," he said, adding that demand for Spanish-speaking guides, for example, has surged in recent years.

Yang speaks English and Spanish, has studied abroad, and traveled extensively. Years of experience have allowed him to understand both his visitors and the country he represents.

"Because what visitors are really doing is not just asking for explanations — they are interpreting China through their own cultural references. You need to understand those reference points as well as your own, so your answers are framed with meaning," he explained.

Many of Li's employees are from language schools, training centers and international trading firms and have never worked in the tourism industry before.

"Their language skills promise immediate and effective communication with potential clients," Li said.

"But they have to work hard to learn what the city has to offer and be capable of answering sophisticated questions based on that expertise. What visitors increasingly seek is not information alone. They want context, comparison and stories."

Experienced guides consistently earn more than newcomers, while regular training improves both service quality and income, industry figures showed. But income instability remains a concern. Tourism is highly seasonal, and many practitioners experience large swings in earnings between peak and off-peak periods.

For all the optimism surrounding inbound tourism's resurgence, the industry's growing pains are real, Li said.

Yang said being a tour guide is about creating understanding, a role he believes AI can never fully replace.

"AI can translate accurately. It can provide information," he said. "But it cannot read a visitor's eyes. It cannot create emotional connection."

In his 50s, he is still very optimistic about the industry's prospects, as more inbound visitors are requesting his services to understand a country still being built.

The Great Wall remains. So does the Forbidden City. But alongside them, a new set of destinations is emerging: factory floors, heritage workshops, innovation hubs and village studios.

"They all hold great sway over inbound travelers' curiosity and need guides like us to lead the way," he said.

yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn