As Young Singaporean Travelers Rediscover China, They Find It Easier Than Ever

W. Syaban

March 28, 2025

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

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

A remote-working technology sales representative from Singapore named Cheah has visited several prominent Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. However, she has also explored less-traveled regions including Xinjiang, Hunan, and Yunnan—often embarking on these journeys alone.

What keeps drawing her back? Nature, convenience, affordability and a deep love for China's culture, language and people.

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“I have a personal fondness for visiting Dali, Yunnan, which is why I return frequently,” Cheah shared with This Week in Asia. “The town offers easy access to both mountains and lakes, pleasant climate, high-quality tea, fresh local produce, and a more relaxed lifestyle. Additionally, there’s an abundance of guesthouses and accommodations, resulting in lower housing expenses for spacious areas relative to those found in Singapore.”

Cheah is among a rising number of young Singaporeans who are revisiting China as their preferred travel destination. According to industry analysts, 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 levels—when more than a million Singaporean visitors went to China each year—the trend shows growing enthusiasm.

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 referencing the Hilton report, nearly 25% of Singapore's Generation Z and Generation Alpha travelers showed significant interest in traveling to China.

Travel businesses are witnessing this change as well. Chan Brothers Travel, a tour company based in Singapore, has seen a surge of five times more reservations for trips to China since 2023.

There has been an increasing enthusiasm among the younger demographic, which wasn’t as evident prior to the pandemic," noted Jeremiah Wong, who serves as the assistant director of marketing communications for Chan Brothers Travel. "Although locations such as Europe and Japan continue to be popular choices, we're observing notable growth in interest towards China.

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, where travelers are increasingly enthusiastic about exploring the country, motivated by viral content on social media, interest in local culture, and a fresh recognition of China’s distinctive mix of heritage and contemporary elements, which has been highlighted due to its rising global impact and expanding soft power," according to Wong.

While major cities like Shanghai and Beijing remain popular with first-time visitors, many younger travellers are venturing further afield. Destinations like Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu and Inner Mongolia - once considered niche - are now gaining attention for their "expansive landscapes" and "immersive cultural experiences", he said.

Edmund Ong, who leads Trip.com Singapore as the general manager, noted that flight searches from Singapore to China increased nearly twofold from January 1 to March 25, when compared to the corresponding timeframe in the previous year.

In addition to the stunning landscapes and historical 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 top destination for Singapore-based travellers on Booking.com, but China has emerged as a close contender, Anthony Lu, regional director of Southeast Asia and China at Booking.com, told This Week in Asia. Over the past year, destinations in China recorded the second-largest surge in search volumes by Singapore travellers, trailing only 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 reestablishment 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 needing a visa, which is over twice as many as recorded 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 past its major draws. Opinions about the nation have changed 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 locations such as Yunnan, which encouraged numerous friends to plan visits during the winter months. However, Khan took a different route, opting instead to journey to Guangzhou, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Zhangjiajie in December.

Once considered challenging for international travelers, navigating and making payments in China proved to be effortless for Khan. 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 within 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 made their way 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 acknowledged that his earlier perceptions of China were influenced by old stereotypes. He mentioned, “Previously, tales portrayed China as filthy or its inhabitants as impolite. However, nowadays, mentioning China brings to mind images of a modern nation that leads the way in technological advancements.”

He was notably captivated by Shanghai’s impressive sights, remembering a small animal park located within an 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 alongside family members highlighted that acquainting their offspring with their ancestral background was a crucial aspect of their journey.

This was the case for communications manager Ho Shu Fen, 45, who visited her relatives in Hainan earlier this month with 14 family members. It was the family's first time seeing their newly renovated ancestral home, which had been restored after its roof collapsed.

This group comprised individuals from three different generations, among them Mr. Ho’s 79-year-old mother, making her inaugural visit to Hainan since her father departed for Nanyang—the historic designation for Southeast Asia—prior to WWII.

Ho mentioned that seeing her encounter her relatives for the first time – family she had never met before but felt an unmistakable connection with – was profoundly touching.

She referred to the journey as an exceptional chance for intergenerational connection. She said, “Having the ability to embark on this trip alongside our senior relatives and even the littlest ones in our clan seemed absolutely blessed. Despite being a native of Singapore, gaining insight into my roots bolsters my personal identity and reinforces the core values that mean the most to me.”