Following China’s several visa-free policies to attract international arrivals and unlock the tourism potential, the number of foreign travelers arriving in Beijing has significantly increased.
Based on data from the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, during the first half of 2024, the capital of China registered 1.02 million foreign visitors, marking a 257 percent year-on-year increase, VisaGuide.World reports.
Moreover, figures from the National Immigration Administration revealed that 14.64 million foreigners visited China in the first half of the year, up 152.7 percent from the previous year.
Continent Residents Accounted for Largest Number of Inbound & Outbound Trips in China During 2024
Further figures show that the number of visa-free entries made by foreigners exceeded 8.5 million, accounting for 58 percent of inbound travel and representing a 190 percent year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, the National Immigration Service processed 287 million inbound and outbound trips in the first six months 2024, marking a 70.9 percent year-on-year increase.
Such trips include 137 million visits by mainlanders, 121 million by Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents, and 29.2 million by foreigners.
As of June, China reached agreements on simplifying visa procedures with more than 40 countries and mutual visa waivers with more than 20. New Zealand, Australia and Poland are among the latest additional countries in China’s visa-free policy. As a result, travelers with ordinary passports coming from the destinations mentioned above can enjoy visa-free stays of up to 15 days in China for business, tourism, family visits or transit purposes.
The visa-free policy is just great! It makes one’s trip nice in many ways. One of the many things he loves about Beijing is its public transportation system. It is so easy to get anywhere you want.
Previously, China had extended visa waivers to 12 countries in two rounds. In these countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, their citizens will have the right to travel to China without visas until December 2025.
The second round includes six other countries: Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. From March 14 to November 30, 2024, citizens from these countries can enjoy visa-free entry to China.
Beijing Registered Over 159,000 Foreign Nationals From 12 Visa-Exemption Countries
Over 159,000 foreign nationals from the 12 visa-exempt countries have entered Beijing this year. In addition, in the first half of the year, over 30,000 foreign visitors came to Beijing as part of such tours, a 30-fold increase over 2022.
During the same period, 33,700 eligible foreign inbound travelers capitalized on China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy, a sevenfold increase year-on-year.