In a bold move to revive tourism, China throws open its doors! Travelers from 195 countries can now visit visa-free, boosting the nation’s previously struggling inbound sector.
China has announced a visa-free policy for travelers from 195 countries, allowing them to visit without needing a visa. This initiative aims to boost China’s struggling inbound tourism sector in 2023 and beyond. By making it easier for international tourists to enter, China hopes to see a significant increase in visitors in 2024.
As part of this effort, China now grants visa-free entry to foreign nationals arriving on cruise ships in group tours, provided their stay does not exceed 15 days. This policy targets economic stimulation through enhanced tourism.
The visa-free entry applies to specific cruise ports in 13 cities across China’s coastal provinces, including Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, and Xiamen. Tour groups must continue their journey to their next port and leave China within 15 days on the same cruise ship. Visitors can travel within coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, including Beijing.
Additionally, China has expanded its visa-free transit policy to include seven new cruise ports: Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beihai. This expansion aims to simplify transit procedures for foreign passengers traveling by cruise ships, enhancing the cruise tourism experience in China.
Despite these efforts, China has struggled to attract overseas visitors due to a weakening economy and low demand for travel within Asia’s largest economy. For instance, Australian airline Qantas Airways recently suspended flights between Sydney and Shanghai, opting to add more services to Singapore and Bengaluru in India instead. The airline cited low travel demand between Australia and China, noting that interest has not rebounded as expected since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chinese tourism industry has faced significant challenges since the pandemic, but the government is betting on ASEAN, Schengen, and Gulf countries with its new visa-free initiative. This includes Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and several Schengen countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Germany.
China’s strategy to attract more international travelers involves allowing visa-free entry for group tours arriving by cruise from 195 countries for up to 15 days. The visa-free policy encompasses tourism hotspots across China, including the Great Wall.
By allowing visa-free entry through sea routes for international cruise group travelers, China is also improving airport and air connectivity, as well as expanding high-speed rail routes to ASEAN countries and Europe, including Schengen countries. These efforts are expected to significantly boost inbound travel and tourism in China in 2024.
Schengen countries thar can visit China visa free:
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
Commonwealth of Independent States that can visit China visa free:
- Moldova
- Kazakhstan
- Belarus
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Azerbaijan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Armenia
- Uzbekistan
- Turkmenistan
ASEAN countries that can visit China visa free:
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Brunei Darussalam
- Myanmar
- Laos
- Thailand
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Philippines
GCC countries that can visit China visa free:
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Bahrain
- United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait
- Oman
China has implemented a sweeping visa-free policy for travelers from all countries via cruise ships. This initiative allows international tourists to explore China’s attractions hassle-free, contributing to the country’s efforts to boost tourism and economic growth through enhanced accessibility and visitor experience.
China’s Soaring Travel Industry
Mutual Visa free between Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore:
Thailand and China have implemented a visa-free policy for tourist visits, allowing citizens from both countries to explore each other’s lands for up to 30 days without a visa. This move follows a similar agreement between China and Singapore, which takes effect in February 2024. With all three countries on the popular Southeast Asian tourist route – Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand – now visa-free for Chinese citizens, travel between the regions is poised to see a significant boost.
Twin Hubs in Beijing: The bustling capital of China boasts two international airports: the established Beijing Capital International Airport, which handled 529.67 million passengers in 2023 (down 47% from 2019), and the rising Beijing Daxing International Airport with 394.72 million passengers in 2023. While the combined traffic hasn’t quite reached pre-pandemic levels (totaling 924.39 million in 2023 compared to 2016’s 943.93 million and 2017’s 957.86 million), the figures indicate a strong recovery trend.
Thailand’s Logistics Leap: A significant development in July 2024 was Thailand’s connection to the Laos-China rail network. This integration positions Thailand as a crucial logistics hub, facilitating trade, travel, and tourism across the region.
Europe on China’s Fast Track: China’s high-speed rail project extends beyond its borders, with Serbian President Vucic praising the progress of the Belgrade-Budapest link. This achievement, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, aims to create a web of high-speed rail connections that enhance connectivity and economic growth across Europe.
Travel & Tourism Boom: The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts a significant boost for China’s travel industry in 2024, with a projected contribution of ¥12.62 trillion to the national economy. This growth coincides with China regaining its title as the world’s top spender in international tourism in 2023, spending a staggering USD 196.5 billion abroad, further highlighting the reopening of Asia and the Pacific region.
Harbin’s Icy Allure: The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival continues to reign supreme as the world’s largest. From its humble beginnings with mainly Chinese participants, it has blossomed into an international event, attracting 18 million visitors and generating substantial revenue of 28.7 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) in recent years.
Open Door for Tourism: Recognizing the potential of tourism, China has introduced a new visa-free policy for cruise travelers from all over the world. This initiative, combined with improved railway connectivity and a focus on attractions like the Great Wall, events, business travel, and manufacturing, paints a picture of a booming travel industry in China.
Improved Connectivity, Increased Arrivals: While the war in Ukraine has impacted international arrivals, China’s infrastructure advancements, particularly its high-speed rail network extending towards Europe, and the recent visa-free policy for cruise travelers are expected to attract more visitors in the coming years. This shift towards a more open-door approach, along with continued domestic tourism growth, has the potential to revitalize China’s travel industry.
China’s bold visa-free policy is an exciting move, ready to welcome tourists from all over the world. This initiative is poised to revitalize China’s struggling inbound travel industry in 2024.
In conclusion, China’s travel industry is poised for substantial growth with the implementation of a new visa-free policy for 195 countries, encompassing ASEAN, Gulf, CIS, and Schengen nations. This initiative marks a pivotal step towards rejuvenating the tourism sector, fostering economic development, and forging stronger international tourism partnerships in the coming years.