Tuesday 17 February wasn't just the first day of the Chinese New Year – it also marked the start of a new era of travel between the UK and China. 

UK citizens are now allowed to travel visa-free to China for stays of up to 30 days, a move expected to further accelerate tourism and business travel between the two countries.

The decision enables tourists and business travelers to enter China without a visa and brings the UK into line with around 50 other countries, including Spain, Italy and Portugal – and, from today, Canada. 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned the agreement during his trip to Beijing, where it formed part of a broader partnership deal between the two countries.

Beijing's ministry of foreign affairs confirmed the agreement on Sunday 14 February, saying Canadian and British citizens will be able to travel to China visa-free from Tuesday, with the policy in effect until December 31.

Commenting on the visa agreement, Starmer said businesses had been "crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China."

"We'll make it easier for them to do so - including via relaxed visa rules for short-term travel - supporting them to expand abroad, all while boosting growth and jobs at home," he said.

Sharp recovery in tourism

The easing of travel restrictions comes against the backdrop of a sharp recovery in tourism flows. Figures from the UK Government's Office for National Statistics show that more than 670,000 visits to Great Britain were made by residents of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan in 2024, up from just 185,000 visits in 2022.

At the same time, UK residents are traveling to China in far greater numbers. In 2024, residents of England, Scotland and Wales made 988,000 visits to China's mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, compared with just 141,000 visits in 2022 across the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland.

Tour operators working across both markets say demand is strong and rising. Jean Dong, Marketing Director at Cultural Tours, says her company continues to receive large numbers of enquiries from the UK.

"We always receive phone calls, inquiries from UK people who want to go to China," she said. "It's almost on their bucket list to go to China at least once in their lifetime."

She added that British travelers are keen to visit destinations such as Beijing's Forbidden City, Chengdu's panda reserves and Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors, while Chinese visitors to the UK remain drawn by heritage, culture and shopping, including landmarks such as the British Museum, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

With travel barriers easing and interest increasing on both sides, tourism is emerging as one of the most visible signs of renewed people-to-people engagement – driven by business, culture and curiosity as much as by policy.