Some foreign students dress in traditional Chinese clothing during the trip. [Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

Income from international tourism grew 5.6 percent to $120 billion in the same period.

This figure suggests the country's inbound tourism market has stepped out of its post-financial crisis depression and entered a new phase of sustainable growth, according to the administration.

"The number of foreign travel groups visiting China has increased in recent years," says Zhou Ying, a veteran tour guide in Beijing.

Zhou has been guiding tour groups from the United States, Australia and New Zealand around the capital for years, taking on more than 40 groups of around 30 people every year.

"They love visiting the landmarks and mixing with the locals," he says.

The departure tax refund scheme policy, facilitated visa policy, increasing number of international flights and tourism events have played a positive role in reviving China's inbound tourism market, according to a September report from the China Tourism Academy.

People from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan make up the mainstay of visitors, while South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, the US, Russia, Mongolia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore are the top 10 sources of foreign travelers to China.

More than 60 percent of inbound travelers spend between $1,000 to 5,000 during their trips to China on average, and the number of visitors from the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are actively rising, according to the report.