The number of tourists from South Korea visiting Shanghai has increased by nearly 150%. People from Southeast Asia have fallen in love with going to Chongqing after Friday's work.

In the first half of 2025, China expanded its "friends circle" of 240-hour visa-free transit to 55 countries. Coupled with the implementation of the "buy now, refund on exit" tax refund policy in April, the enthusiasm of foreign friends for traveling and shopping in China has significantly increased. In the first quarter of this year, the number of tourists from South Korea visiting Shanghai increased by 142.37% compared to the previous year. In order to allow South Korean tourists who have traveled a long way to enjoy both delicious food and leisurely vacations, some restaurants have intentionally created Korean-language versions of their menu and queueing apps, as well as providing translation services. In Chongqing, due to the advantages of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and its "3-hour flight circle" location, "Going to Chongqing after work on Friday" has become a popular term in Southeast Asia. Data from the Chongqing Municipal Committee of Culture and Tourism Development shows that in 2024, Chongqing received 1.27 million inbound tourists, an increase of 183.6% compared to the previous year; from January to May of this year, Chongqing received 775,000 inbound tourists, an increase of 82.1% compared to the same period last year.