China's visa free policy has ignited a surge in tourism during this summer holiday, with international visitors increasingly shifting from traditional sightseeing activities to more immersive cultural experiences.

At present, China has expanded the application of its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to 37 ports and 54 countries and has attracted foreign tourists through several visa-free transit policies.

China's inbound tourism orders have seen a 100 percent increase year-on-year, and inbound tourism orders from 14 countries with visa-free entry, including France, Italy, Germany and Thailand, increased by 1.5 times year-on-year, data showed.

"As of August 12, the number of people entering and leaving the port of Zhangjiajie Airport this year has exceeded 310,000, which is 33 percent more than last year's annual entry and exit traffic," said Wang Xiaoming, instructor at the Zhangjiajie Airport border checkpoint.

The city has several scenic spots, including the iconic Tianmen Mountain and the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Starting July 30, foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao will be able to enter Hainan visa-free within 144 hours, attracting many tourists to enjoy the beaches and water sports in southern China.

"I think the weather, first of all. I really like the sun, and in comparison to England, China is much more sunny," said a tourist from England, who is studying sailing with his friends.

"We only need to prepare one suitcase to visit Hainan. We sincerely hope that there will be more convenient policies in the future," said a tourist from Vietnam traveling with his family.

Thanks to fast public transportation, especially high-speed rail, inbound tourists can visit several cities within the time required for visa-free travel.

"I think it's really impressive; how big the stations are, how fast the trains go, it's really impressive," said a tourist from Germany, who plans to travel from central China's Chengdu to Chongqing, and then to south China's Guangzhou.

Some travelers shared their experiences in China on social media platforms. This content, especially on lifestyle, has made traction in reaching a wider audience, making "China Travel" a trending topic on the Internet.

"Behind this actually reflects a big change, [foreign tourists] are gradually moving from sightseeing historical resources in the past to in-depth experiences of Chinese life, Chinese community and Chinese culture. These real-life tourism experiences in China are more likely to impress international travelers and make them return to China," said Wang Xiaoyu, a researcher from the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.