As of May 15, China has begun to allow visa-free entry for foreign tour groups arriving via cruise ships as part of its ongoing efforts to attract more international visitors and boost its sluggish inbound travel sector.
Following the new policy announced by the National Immigration Administration, overseas tour groups arriving on cruise vessels will be granted entry and allowed to stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa, VisaGuide.World reports.
Foreign Tour Groups Can Enter China From 13 Ports
As the same authority reveals, tourist groups, each consisting of two foreigners or more, and organized or received by Chinese travel agencies, can enter China visa-free on board cruise ships via the cruise ports in 13 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Sanya.
The scope of activities is coastal provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) and Beijing City. At the same time, to support the development of cruise tourism, it was decided to add seven cruise ports in Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beihai and other places as ports applicable to China’s transit visa exemption policy to facilitate those who meet the conditions of China’s transit visa exemption policy.
China currently welcomes about 21 international cruise ships that visit its ports en route to destinations as diverse as Japan, Vietnam and South Korea.
According to a senior official at the Ministry of Transport, Zhu Zhenyu, last year, a total of 107,000 passenger trips were recorded via cruise ships in China.
The move follows a series of measures implemented by China since late last year to lure more international visitors, including visa-free entry for travelers from selected European and Asian countries. In addition, China launched its first domestically produced cruise ship in January, offering domestic tourists more opportunities to travel abroad in familiar surroundings.
China’s Cruise Ship Passenger Trips Soar in Q1 2024
Based on data provided by China’s Ministry of Transport, in the first quarter of 2024, the country saw cruise passenger trips exceed 190,000, thus surpassing the figure registered for 2023, which amounted to 107,000 visits.
Since the beginning of 2024, 21 international cruise ships have been operating from domestic ports in China, including some routes linking Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Vietnam.
The country’s first large-scale cruise ship, Adora Magic City, logged its maiden commercial voyage in January this year, completing a 1,119-nautical-mile journey that took seven days and six nights.