Shanghai welcomes 6.3 million inbound tourists in first three quarters

​A Polish family of four visits Legoland Resort in Shanghai. [Photo/Jiefang Daily]

Shanghai has reinforced its position as China's leading gateway for international travelers, with inbound tourism showing strong growth in the first three quarters of the year.

In the first nine months, the city welcomed 6.3 million inbound visitors, a year-on-year increase of 37.14 percent. Overnight international tourists reached 7.7 million, up 44.67 percent compared with the same period last year.

South Korea remained the largest source country, with 619,800 visitors, more than double the figure from last year. Japan and the United States followed, contributing over 450,000 and 380,000 visitors, respectively.

Solid growth was also seen from Southeast Asian countries, with arrivals from Thailand and Indonesia rising 106.46 percent and 61.38 percent, respectively.

The increase is partly attributed to China's expanded visa-waiver policies. Tourists from 76 countries can now enter China visa-free, while citizens of 55 additional countries can visit China for up to 10 days without a visa when transiting to a third destination.

​Overseas tourists visit the Bund ahead of this year's National Day holiday. [Photo/Jiefang Daily]

The hospitality sector has rebounded notably, with the average occupancy rate of star-rated hotels in September rising to 67.6 percent, up 6 percentage points year-on-year. Five-star hotels recorded a 73.1 percent occupancy rate, with an average daily rate of 992.6 yuan ($139.6).

With major events like the China International Import Expo and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival lined up for the fourth quarter, experts predict that Shanghai will host more than 8 million inbound visitors this year.