Tour operators are reporting an upsurge in enquiries and bookings for China following the announcement on that UK passport holders will be able to travel to the country without a visa until December 31, 2026.
Under the agreement between the UK government and Chinese government, visa-free travel across mainland China will be permitted for trips of under 30 days.
Wendy Wu, a China-specialist operator, has highlighted the opportunity for agents presented by the agreement.
“The confirmation of visa-free travel for UK passport holders until the end of 2026 represents a significant commercial opportunity for the travel trade,” said Gary King, Head of Trade Sales, Wendy Wu Tours.
“Since the initial announcement last month, we’ve seen a 35% year-on-year increase in enquiries for China, alongside a clear uplift in bookings as traveller confidence has returned.
“Removing the visa requirement simplifies the sales conversation for agents and eliminates one of the final hurdles customers had been hesitating over. It makes China feel more straightforward and immediately accessible again.
“While the policy is currently confirmed until December 31, 2026, that clarity creates a strong booking window for agents to capitalise on. Customers now have certainty for travel throughout 2026, and we expect demand to accelerate as awareness grows.’
King also stressed that as Wendy Wu Tours has always managed China visa applications in-house through its dedicated visa team, whether travel remains visa-free beyond 2026 or not, agents can continue to sell China with confidence.
Wendy Wu’s new 12-day Inspiring China tour visits Imperial Beijing, Furong Ancient Town by night, Zhangjiajie National Park, the Dazu Rock Carvings and gives travellers time to relax in hot springs. Priced from £3,590pp it includes all international flights, hotels, meals, transport, experiences and guides.
Intrepid Travel has also noted a 117% increase in bookings from UK customers to China, since the visa-free travel announcement.
Joanna Reeve, Intrepid Travel’s UK Director, said: “So far in 2026, most people are booking itineraries between eight to 12 days. The top booked trip is the rail itinerary Beijing to Hong Kong Adventure (12 days), followed by China Highlights (eight days). The 18-35s Real China (12 days) is also a top booked trip, with Brits aged 21 to 40 years old making up half of bookings since the announcement.”
She added that Intrepid has been creating new product in China as demand continues to grow. New for 2026 trips include Walking the Great Wall of China, which spends several days hiking sections of the Great Wall and staying in local guesthouses, Southern China Highlights that travels from Hong Kong to Shanghai, and China Real Food Adventure which includes cultural highlights and food-focused experiences like a noodle-making.
Bamboo Travel has also seen enquiries increase by 120% year on year since the announcement.
“Travellers are booking in-depth tours combining the main highlights with rural areas, travelling from place to place on the high-speed rail network,” said Robin Ball, Director of Bamboo Travel.
The operator said its most popular itineraries are currently the 12-day Highlights of China trip, priced from £3,950pp and the 19-day South China Explorer trip priced from £5,195pp.
Highlights of China starts in Beijing before taking a high-speed train to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors before continuing to the south of China and finishes up in Shanghai. The South China Explorer itinerary visits the famous ancient towns of Lijiang and Dali, the Shaxi Valley, Guizhou Province with its spectacular rice terraces at Jiabang and the ancient town of Zhaoxing and finishes with a few days relaxing in Yangshuo on the Li River.
The new visa arrangement will apply to both business travellers and tourists and will bring the UK into line with around 50 other countries that already benefit from visa-free access, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan.
Hundreds of thousands of British people could potentially benefit from the change, with around 620,000 travelling to China in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics.
