Inbound tourists arriving by cruise ship watch a lion dance performance in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 8, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shanghai recorded over 6.7 million inbound tourist trips in 2024, an 84 percent increase from the previous year, partly thanks to the country's loosening visa policies, local tourism authorities said Thursday.

Overnight stays in Shanghai exceeded 6 million last year, an increase of over 80 percent year on year, with international tourists more than doubled to nearly 4.8 million, according to the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

The Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan topped the list in terms of visitor source countries, each accounting for over 400,000 tourists to Shanghai. Meanwhile, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia were the top three source countries with the fastest-growing tourist numbers, said the administration.

In particular, Shanghai recorded over 300,000 tourist trips from Thailand, marking a staggering year-on-year increase of more than 300 percent.

The surge in inbound tourism is partly attributable to the continuous optimization of visa-free policies. To date, China has established comprehensive mutual visa exemption agreements with 25 countries, introduced unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, and implemented transit visa-free arrangements for 54 countries.

Riding the wave of "China Travel," which has gained massive popularity since last year, many scenic spots in Shanghai have gone viral on global social media platforms.

German tourist Paul Liehr visited Shanghai's Wukang Road during his Asian sightseeing tours. "The visa-free policy made my trip in China more convenient," he told Xinhua.

Shanghai will facilitate its tourism services and promote its appeal to attract more inbound tourists, according to the administration.