In Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden, Wu Yinglu, a Spanish-speaking guide, leads a family of six from Argentina on a tour. 

The allure of the Chinese-style garden has enchanted the visitors from afar, as they closely follow Wu, absorbing her explanations and capturing moments through their lenses.

Since the start of this year, Shanghai and the nation at large have experienced a surge in inbound tourism, leading to a significant demand for foreign language tour guides, especially those proficient in languages other than English.

Zhou Hengyong, assistant to the general manager of a tourism group in Shanghai, stated: "The daily wage for English-speaking tour guides is about 500 yuan ($68.93) to 700 yuan, while guides for less common languages can earn between 800 and 1,000 yuan a day."

Recent data reveals that in the first half of this year, 14.635 million foreign nationals entered China through various ports, marking a year-on-year increase of 152.7 percent.

A tour guide introduces Chinese cultural heritage to foreign visitors. [Screenshot of CCTV]

A slew of evolving measures, including various visa-free policies to facilitate inbound tourism, has contributed to the growing enthusiasm for "China Travel".

Two foreign visitors pose for a photo in a Chinese garden. [Screenshot of CCTV]

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since July 1, China has been trialing visa-free policies for ordinary passport holders from New Zealand, Australia and Poland. Since last December, China has also been piloting unilateral visa-free policies for ordinary passport holders from multiple countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Additionally, China has implemented 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit policies for citizens from 54 countries, including Russia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Two foreign visitors enjoy their leisure time in China. [Screenshot of CCTV]

The National Immigration Administration predicts that the interest of foreigners visiting China will continue to rise in the second half of the year, indicating the market demand for foreign language tour guides will remain high.

Source: Shanghai Observer