Driven by visa-free access and social media hype, technologically savvy Generation Z travelers are uncovering a contemporary China that dispels outdated stereotypes.

In the last year, Jordy Cheah, who is 28 years old, has made seven trips to China.

A remote-working technology salesperson from Singapore, Cheah has visited several key Chinese urban centers such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. However, she has also explored less-traveled regions including Xinjiang, Hunan, and Yunnan, frequently journeying alone.

What continues to bring her back? The allure of nature, the ease of convenience, the cost-effectiveness, and a profound affection for Chinese culture, language, and its people.

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“I genuinely love visiting Dali, Yunnan, which is why I frequently return,” Cheah shared with This Week in Asia. “The town offers easy access to both mountains and lakes, pleasant climate, fine teas, fresh local products, and a relaxed lifestyle. Additionally, it boasts abundant accommodations, leading to lower housing expenses for spacious lodgings relative to those found in Singapore.”

Cheah is among a rising number of young Singaporeans who are revisiting China as their preferred travel spot. According to industry experts, this tendency gained significant momentum starting February last year, following Beijing’s introduction
30-day visa-free entry
.

In 2024, arrivals from Singapore to China increased dramatically, jumping from approximately 260,000 in 2023 to around 535,000, as reported by Oxford Economics. Despite these figures still being far below pre-pandemic standards—when more than a million Singaporean visitors went to China each year—the enthusiasm is rapidly growing.

According to a 2025 tourism trend report published by the Hilton hotel group, there was an increase in travelers from Singapore visiting China over the December holidays. The data revealed that Beijing witnessed a 48 percent surge in visitor interest relative to the prior year, whereas Shanghai and Guangzhou observed increases of 81 percent and 87 percent, correspondingly.

According to TTG Asia Media quoting the Hilton report, almost 25% of Singapore’s Generation Z and Generation Alpha travelers showed significant interest in traveling to China.

Tour operators are witnessing this change as well. Chan Brothers Travel from Singapore has seen their reservations for trips to China rise fivefold since 2023.

“There has been a notable surge in interest among young people, which wasn’t as evident prior to the pandemic,” stated Jeremiah Wong, who works as the assistant director of marketing communications for Chan Brothers Travel. “Although places such as Europe and Japan continue to be popular choices, we’re observing China emerging strongly.”

Prior to the pandemic, China tended to be viewed as a rather conservative and somewhat unwelcoming destination for young travelers. However, this viewpoint is shifting.

“We’re now witnessing the reverse trend as travelers increasingly welcome the nation with rising excitement, fueled by viral social media content, a desire to explore Chinese culture, and an enhanced admiration for China’s distinctive fusion of heritage and contemporary elements, which has been highlighted due to its escalating impact and expanding soft power,” stated Wong.

Even though big cities such as Shanghai and Beijing continue to attract newcomers, an increasing number of young travelers are exploring more remote areas. Areas including Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia—previously seen as off-the-beaten-path—are now drawing interest due to their “vast vistas” and “deep cultural immersion,” according to him.

Edmund Ong, who leads Trip.com Singapore as the general manager, noted that flight inquiries from Singapore to China surged nearly twofold between January 1 and March 25, contrasting with data from the equivalent timeframe in the previous year.

In addition to the stunning landscapes and historic sites, cost-effectiveness was also an important factor, he mentioned. Over the past few years, the Singapore dollar has strengthened compared to the Chinese yuan, increasing from 4.61 yuan per dollar in December 2021 to 5.42 yuan as of last Friday.

Surging interest

Japan
Remains the leading choice for travelers from Singapore on Booking.com; however, China has become a strong competitor. According to Anthony Lu, Regional Director of Southeast Asia and China at Booking.com, Chinese destinations saw the second-highest increase in search volume from Singaporean travelers over the last year, coming just behind.
Vietnam
Meanwhile, Japan took the third position.

Lu mentioned that interest in China has been gradually rising since the pandemic ended, with search numbers on Booking.com going up by 26 percent from last year to this year.

The World Travel and Tourism Council supported this upward trajectory, noting a significant increase in incoming tourism to China not only from Singapore but also on a global scale. They highlighted the easing of visa restrictions and the reinstatement of air links as crucial elements driving this growth.

According to data published last month, the number of international trips to China saw an increase of 60.8 percent compared to the prior year, totaling 131.9 million visits in the past year. Among these travelers, approximately 20.12 million entered without a visa, which is over twice as many as in 2023.

China’s government has been actively courting tourists, relaxing visa policies for 38 countries and expanding visa-free transit stays for citizens from 54 nations. Mega attractions such as the upgraded Shanghai Disneyland and the expanded Universal Studios in Beijing have also been pulling in crowds.

However, for numerous Singaporeans, the allure of China extends beyond its major tourist draws. Opinions about the nation have evolved, partly due to social media influence.

Tech-savvy travellers

Sarah Khan, a 29-year-old attorney, mentioned that social media platforms like
TikTok
and
Instagram
highlighted places such as Yunnan, which encouraged numerous friends to travel there during the winter months. However, Khan opted for an alternative route, visiting Guangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Zhangjiajie in December instead.

Exploring and making payments in China was surprisingly smooth for Khan despite earlier perceptions of obstacles for international travelers. She simply installed the required mobile applications and utilized an e-SIM card paired with a virtual private network to gain access to the apps she needed from Singapore which were restricted in China.

“It’s straightforward for young Chinese Singaporeans since they are technologically adept,” she mentioned. “After mastering mobile payments once, navigating future visits to China becomes quite simple.” She also noted that affordability was a significant attraction.

When Benedict Koo and his wife celebrated the New Year in Beijing for their first visit, safety was a crucial consideration before they proceeded to Shanghai.

The 29-year-old technology salesperson mentioned that other locations across Europe and in the U.S. seemed risky due to reports he’d come across regarding thefts.

Koo admitted that his initial impressions of China were shaped by outdated stereotypes. “In the past, you would hear stories about China being dirty, or about the people being rude. But now when people say China it’s seen as modern, ahead of time and at the frontier of technology.”

He was notably struck by Shanghai’s impressive sights, remembering a small animal park located within a mall and the planet’s biggest indoor skiing facility, which even featured a cable car.

Apart from popular tourist spots, cultural connections significantly draw Singaporean visitors to China. For the ethnic Chinese community in Singapore, which comprises roughly seventy-five percent of the country’s populace, returning to their ancestral villages frequently holds deep personal significance.

Lu noted that numerous Singaporean Chinese households view these journeys as a chance to reinforce their cultural foundations. According to Booking.com’s travel trends study, over 80% of Singaporeans traveling with relatives emphasized that acquainting their kids with their ancestral background was a crucial aspect of their travels.

This situation applied to Communications Manager Ho Shu Fen, aged 45, who traveled to Hainan earlier this month with 14 of her family members to visit their relatives. The trip marked their first opportunity to see their recently refurbished ancestral home, which had undergone renovations following the collapse of its roof.

This team comprised 15 members across three generations, featuring Ho’s 79-year-old mother, making her inaugural visit to Hainan since her father departed for Nanyang – an old designation referring to Southeast Asia – prior to WWII.

Ho mentioned that seeing her encounter her relatives for the first time — family she hadn’t previously known but unmistakably felt connected to — was profoundly touching.

She referred to the journey as an exceptional chance for intergenerational bonding. She said, “Having the ability to embark on this trip alongside our eldest relatives and even the littlest ones in our clan seemed absolutely blessed. Despite being native to Singapore, gaining insight into my roots reinforces who I am and underscores what’s truly important to me.”

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The article initially appeared on the South ChinaMorning Post (www.scmp.com), which is the premier source for news coverage of China andAsia.

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