The Tunisian government has decided to adopt a new visa-free policy for Chinese tourists.
The Chinese Embassy in Tunisia noted that this new policy, according to the regulations set by the Tunisian government, allows Chinese visitors to travel to Tunisia without visas as well as organized groups embarking on trips to the country, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to local media, before entering the country, Chinese tourists must provide proof of hotel reservations and airline tickets.
As for the African nation’s economy, tourism plays the main role, and thus, the Tunisian authorities have expressed optimism about using the great potential of the Chinese market for their tourism sector to grow.
Occasions such as New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival have emerged as major honours for international tourism sectors to lure Chinese tourists.
At the same time, the recently concluded National Day holidays, along with upcoming celebrations such as New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival, are of great importance to foreign tourism industries seeking to attract Chinese travelers.
Apart from Tunisia, several other countries and regions have recently implemented similar entry policies to attract Chinese tourists. These include destinations such as Thailand, Georgia, and Kiribati.
Georgian authorities revealed that from September of this year, Chinese citizens have the opportunity to enter the South Caucasus country without the need for a visa. Such a development aimed to encourage tourism and promote bilateral economic investments. Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili also said that Chinese citizens will be allowed to stay in Georgia for up to 30 days without needing a visa.
In the same month, Thailand also implemented a visa waiver program for Chinese tourists. The primary purpose behind this move was to strengthen the country’s tourism sector. As Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavis explains, the program aims to attract 30 percent more travelers and boost the country’s income from tourism.
Moreover, the resilience of China’s travel and tourism industry was evident during the eight-day Golden Week that began during this month, including the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. In this period, the total number of inbound and outbound trips reached 11.82 million, recovering to 85.1 percent of the levels observed in 2019, indicating a promising recovery for the sector.
China’s Travel and Tourism sector is positioned to play an essential role in the national economy, with a projected contribution of $1.48 trillion by the end of 2023. This marks a remarkable increase of over 150 percent compared to its contribution in 2022, which was $583 billion.