China experienced a significant increase in foreign visitors during the first two months of 2024, as revealed by the authorities from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
During this period, foreign travelers made 2.95 million trips to and from China, VisaGuide.World reports.
Such an increase is attributed to the country’s new visa-free entry policy, as the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
In his statement on Friday, Shi Zeyi, deputy director of the Ministry’s Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation, noted that the number was 2.3 times higher than that of November-December. Moreover, it amounted to 41.5 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
During the Spring Festival period, the effect of China’s visa-free entry policy showed and there was an increase in tourists from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia and Singapore.
As further reported, on March 10, the international cruise ship Zuiderdam, managed by Holland America Line, arrived at the port of Dalian in northeast China, bringing 2,013 tourists from 47 countries. According to Zeyi, this marked the first visit of a large cruise ship to northern China since 2019.
Meanwhile, between February and April, Germany’s TUI Cruises is set to transport over 10,000 tourists to China.
China Granting Visa-Free Entry to More Countries
Over the past few months, the Chinese government has lifted and eased visa restrictions for several countries in an effort to increase tourism, among other things.
Last December, China announced a visa-free policy, allowing visitors from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia to stay for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit purposes.
Recently, China has expanded 15-day visa-free entry to Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Citizens of these countries can enjoy visa-free entry to China until November 30 of this year.
Moreover, as of March 1, citizens of China and Thailand have been able to travel to each other’s countries visa-free for up to 30 days.
Meanwhile, in February of this year, Chinese authorities announced a visa-free policy for citizens of Georgia. During this month, China also reached a similar agreement with Singapore.
Shi Zeyi also revealed that China plans to implement further measures to simplify travel for foreign tourists.
He also noted that China plans to offer additional tourism services and enhance international advertising efforts to encourage more inbound travel.
Chinese Citizens Can Visit 49 Countries Without a Visa
As of March 2024, Chinese passport holders can travel visa-free to 49 countries and territories, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index.
On the other hand, they are required to obtain a visa to enter 118 other countries worldwide.