Friday, July 5, 2024
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China’s visa-free policy appears to be paying off, as evidenced by the surge in foreign tourist arrivals. In the first six months of this year, foreign visits surged 152.7 percent to 14.64 million, according to figures from the National Immigration Administration.
The administration stated that the number of foreigners benefiting from the visa exemption privilege exceeded 8.5 million people, representing 58% of the total incoming visits, which represents an increase of 190% over the previous year.
However, the total number of international tourists is still below the pre-pandemic figures in 2019, which saw 15.53 million visitors in the first half of that year.
With domestic tourism declining due to economic challenges, China is gradually expanding its list of countries eligible for visits of up to 15 days for business, tourism or family reasons.
The new visa waiver regulations now include several European countries and Australia. In addition, 23 countries benefit from the reciprocal visa waiver, with Thailand joining the list this year. Singaporeans and Malaysians are allowed to stay for up to 30 days on each visit.
Last November, China also expanded its visa-waiver program to 54 countries. This allows travelers from these countries to stay for up to 144 hours in Beijing, Shanghai and 20 other cities, provided they have a confirmed ticket to another destination. The policy also extends to cruise ship passengers who stop in ports.
