"Inbound tourism is booming. We are now receiving more than 60 tour groups from Vietnam every day," said Chen Yongshan, general manager of a travel agency in Dongxing. "With the summer holiday approaching, we expect even more inbound visitors, and travel agencies will be busier."

Across China, cities are rolling out new services to make travel easier for foreign visitors. In Beijing, the Summer Palace has begun offering surveys in English, while the Temple of Heaven has introduced dozens of AI translation devices to help visitors navigate the grounds.

In Changsha, more than 4,000 businesses now accept international bank cards, and currency exchange services are widely available across major shopping districts. Chengdu, for its part, has launched citywide bilingual volunteer programs, offering language assistance and on-the-ground help for travelers.

Chinese travelers are also shifting toward more immersive outbound trips, moving away from packed itineraries and toward experiences shaped by personal interests.

Demand for experiences like sporting events and theme parks has been growing, while bookings for interest-based trips on China's leading travel platform Trip.com rose 78 percent from a year earlier, spanning activities from diving and skiing to museum visits.

According to analysts, the surge in cross-border travel during China's May Day holiday highlights the country's vast potential in the global tourism market, with its broader economic spillover effects beginning to emerge.