Tourism boom deepens exchange between China, Central Asian countries

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- After a 13-day drive through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Lu Zhonghe became part of a growing wave of Chinese tourists discovering Central Asia's accessible routes, rich history, and tourism resources.

A native of Guangdong Province in south China, Lu traveled as part of a group with 10 other tourists from different parts of the country. After assembling in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, they were led by a professional driving tour guide and exited through a land port en route to Central Asia.

"The journey was smooth and convenient, and the locals were impressively warm and welcoming," he said, recalling the bustling streets in Almaty and the grand madrasahs in the ancient city of Samarkand.

Lu is among an increasing number of Chinese travelers who are rediscovering the ancient Silk Road, not as merchants or envoys, but as modern-day tourists seeking adventure, culture, and connection in Central Asia. With its proximity, affordability, and exotic charm, Central Asia is becoming an increasingly popular getaway for Chinese tourists, boosted by a wave of supportive measures.

According to Chen Zhenhua, manager of the Urumqi branch of Xinjiang Xiyu International Travel Agency, their popular packages include a six-day tour of Almaty and a world heritage-themed trip across several Central Asian countries.

Most travelers heading to Central Asia nowadays typically come from metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai, as well as Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, Chen said, noting that an increasing number of tourists are traveling to Central Asia through land ports in Xinjiang.

The Takixken road port, for example, had recorded over 18,000 inbound and outbound travelers as of May 21 this year, a year-on-year increase of nearly 30 percent. Located on the Chinese-Mongolian border, Takixken serves as a convenient transit point for travelers heading through Mongolia to Central Asian countries.

The newly implemented mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Uzbekistan is expected to further boost tourism. Starting June 1, citizens of both countries can travel to each other's territory without a visa for stays of up to 30 days per visit. Previously, visa-free entry for Chinese tourists to Uzbekistan was limited to 10 days and required a valid outbound flight ticket.

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in China said this move would undoubtedly boost bilateral tourism and drive growth in visitor numbers.

In 2024, Uzbekistan received 74,304 Chinese tourist arrivals, a 75 percent surge from the previous year. Currently, Chinese and Uzbek airlines operate 58 flights each week, covering Beijing, Urumqi, Xi'an, Chengdu and Hangzhou in China, and Tashkent, Samarkand and Fergana in Uzbekistan.

In April, the Sixth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Almaty. A communique released after the meeting pledged joint measures, including simplifying visa procedures, aimed at facilitating the mutual travel for citizens and cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises between China and Central Asian countries.

"As China's cooperation with Central Asian countries deepens across various fields, Chinese people are gaining a greater understanding of their Central Asian neighbors," said Hu Feng, who manages a travel agency based in Uzbekistan.

In addition to the usual travelers drawn by curiosity, Hu noticed a rise in business tourism. Many Chinese companies are exploring opportunities in Central Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative. He also noted that a growing number of Uzbek businesspeople and tourists have been entering China via Xinjiang since the implementation of the mutual visa exemption agreement.

"We are working to train skilled Chinese-language talent into guides who can provide in-depth introductions to the Silk Road history and the cultural ties between China and Central Asian countries," he said.

Deng Hao, a professor with Xinjiang Normal University, believes that tourism cooperation is poised to become a new growth engine in subnational cooperation between China and Central Asia.

"Since ancient times, China has maintained close trade and cultural exchanges with Central Asian countries through the Silk Road, laying a deep and enduring foundation for modern-day cooperation," he said.

Today, the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China, has received active participation from Central Asian countries, and the first China-Central Asia Summit in 2023 has further aligned the initiative with their regional development strategies, Deng noted.

On May 29, a tourist train departed from China's northwestern city of Xi'an for Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, marking the inaugural run of the China-Central Asia International Cultural Tourism Train.

This is one of the key outcomes of the first China-Central Asia Summit held in Xi'an, which stressed the importance of further tourism cooperation and the development of a joint tourist route. The second summit is set to take place this week in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

In 2024, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan reached 655,000, an increase of 78 percent from 2023, making China the second-largest source of inbound tourists to Kazakhstan.

Lu Fei, general manager of Xi'an Tourism Co., Ltd., said the cooperation agreement signed with the company's Kazakh counterpart in the railway and tourism sectors would help ensure that the benefits of bilateral collaboration reach everyday people and strengthen people-to-people ties.

"When Chinese travelers enjoy Almaty's famous apples, and Central Asian tourists touch the thousand-year-old walls of Xi'an, these shared experiences become the most vivid expressions of the dialogue between different civilizations," Lu said. ■