China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration.
'This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process,' Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China.
'I'm practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up' says Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience. To meet growing demand, he launched a new business to train anyone interested in becoming an English-speaking tour guide. 'I just can't handle them all on my own' he said.
After lifting tough COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited in that year, less than half the 31.9 million in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
30 days for many in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast
In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost all of Europe has been added since then. Travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible last month, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on July 16 with the addition of Azerbaijan.
About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis.
For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this means his family would no longer need to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow. 'They don't very often open, so it was much harder' he said.
'The new visa policies are 100% beneficial to us,' said Jenny Zhao, a managing director of WildChina, which specializes in boutique and luxury routes for international travelers. She said business is up 50% compared with before the pandemic.
While the U.S. remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30% of their current business, European travelers now make up 15–20% of their clients, a sharp increase from less than 5% before 2019, according to Zhao. 'We're quite optimistic' Zhao said, 'we hope these benefits will continue.'
Trip.com Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, said the visa-free policy has significantly boosted tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on their website for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, with 75% of the visitors from visa-free regions.
No major African country is eligible for visa-free entry, despite the continent's relatively close ties with China.
North Americans and some others in transit can enter for 10 days
Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. The policy is limited to 60 ports of entry, according to the country's National Immigration Administration.
The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren't: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Sweden is the only high-income European country that didn't make the 30-day list. Ties with China have frayed since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but turned up months later in police custody in mainland China.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Harris English's caddie denied U.K. visa over past drug conviction
Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner discuss the upcoming Genesis Scottish Open before breaking down who they believe the PGA Tour Player of the Year is between Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Harris English is spending the next two weeks in the United Kingdom for the Scottish Open and The Open, two tournaments that could be critical in his bid to play in another Ryder Cup. His caddie, Eric Larson, is stuck at home without being able to obtain a new Electronic Travel Authority visa for travel to the U.K., a regulation that now applies to Americans. Grounds for refusal include an applicant who has been convicted of a criminal offense in the U.K. or overseas for which they served 12 months or more in prison. Thirty years ago, Larson pleaded guilty to sending cocaine to friends in the Midwest. Though he wasn't a user or big-time dealer, he spent 10 years and three months in prison and was released from a halfway house in June 2006. Mark Calcavecchia hired him back and got him on his feet. Since then, Larson worked for three players at the Ryder Cup — Anthony Kim in 2008, Jeff Overton in 2010 and most recently English, with whom he has worked the last eight years. 'I guess the United Kingdom doesn't look highly on his past,' English said Tuesday at The Renaissance Club before his pro-am round. 'And apparently it's a work in progress.' English, who is No. 19 in the world and 10th in the U.S. standings for the Ryder Cup, said he didn't become aware of Larson's plight until right after he tied for fourth at the Travelers Championship three weeks ago. English said he reached out to Warren Stephens, the ambassador to the U.K. who put him in touch with his chief of staff. 'They wrote a letter. The R&A wrote a letter. The PGA Tour wrote a letter. A charity event Eric works for in the States wrote a letter. It's not for a lack of effort,' English said. 'I think it could be sitting on someone's desk at the government somewhere.' Joe Etter is filling in — for now — as his caddie. Etter, who started out working for English more than a decade ago, currently works for Davis Thompson, who is not playing the Scottish Open. Golf Channel Staff, Thompson, however, received the final spot in the field for The Open next week at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland (part of the U.K.). 'Joe was my Plan B,' English said. 'Now we're going to have to get a new Plan B.' English is holding out hope that someone will pave the way for Larson to get the ETA visa he needs for U.K. entry. Larson has worked the last four years at The Open for English and previously for Overton and Kim. 'It's just a matter of the right people seeing it,' he said. 'I didn't understand how complicated the process was. Someone could see this guy had something in his past 30 years ago, he's been fine the last 20. How long does this stay with him?'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Emmanuel Macron and Wife Brigitte Have Another Awkward Airplane Moment Ahead of Royal Visit
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, appeared to have another awkward exchange when they were filmed arriving for an official state visit with the British royal family Footage showed the Macrons deplaning at RAF Northolt as the president offered a hand to his wife, which she seemed to ignore In May, Brigitte appeared to push her husband's face as they prepared to deboard a plane in Hanoi, VietnamFollowing their viral moment back in May, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, had another awkward airplane exchange on Tuesday, July 8, ahead of their official state visit with the British royal family. As the Macrons deplaned at RAF Northolt — where Prince William and Kate Middleton waited to welcome them — the French president, 47, reached up to extend his hand to his wife to help her down the stairs. Brigitte, however, chose to hold on to the rail until she reached the ground, seemingly snubbing her husband's gesture. Some interpreted the moment as a blatant brush-off; however, others pointed out that Brigitte, 72, could simply have been focused on keeping her balance on the airplane steps or preparing herself to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales. The couple were all smiles as they greeted William and Kate, both 43, with Emmanuel bestowing a royally unusual — but not protocol-breaking — kiss to Kate's hand. It was certainly a less scandalous moment than when the Macrons went viral in May after Brigitte appeared to push Emmanuel's face as they prepared to deboard a plane in Hanoi, Vietnam, at the start of a Southeast Asia tour. Later, an official at the Élysée Palace downplayed the incident, saying, "It was a moment when the president and his wife were relaxing one last time before the start of the trip by having a laugh," per Reuters. The Macrons appeared to be in good spirits for the rest of their first day in the U.K. Brigitte even shared a laugh with Queen Camilla as she and King Charles welcomed them for the first state visit made by France in 17 years. The two power couples posed together on the Royal Dais at Datchet Road near Windsor Castle, where the president and his wife will be staying during their visit. Later, the two couples took in an exhibition of art from the Royal Collection with a special connection to France in the castle's Green Drawing Room. The French state visit will last from July 8 through Thursday, July 10, with plenty of other official events planned, including a royal gala. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Macron previewed the event in a post to X, in both English and French, ahead of the trip. 'The United Kingdom is a strategic partner, an ally, a friend. Our bond is longstanding, forged by History and strengthened by trust,' he wrote. 'Together, we will address the major challenges of our time: security, defence, nuclear energy, space, innovation, artificial intelligence, migration, and culture. These are all areas in which we seek to act together and deepen our cooperation in a concrete, effective, and lasting way," Macron added. Read the original article on People
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
WASHINGTON — Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations. The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration. 'This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process,' Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China. 'I'm practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up' says Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience. To meet growing demand, he launched a new business to train anyone interested in becoming an English-speaking tour guide. 'I just can't handle them all on my own' he said. After lifting tough COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited in that year, less than half the 31.9 million in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost all of Europe has been added since then. Travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible last month, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on July 16 with the addition of Azerbaijan. About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis. For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this means his family would no longer need to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow. 'They don't very often open, so it was much harder' he said. 'The new visa policies are 100% beneficial to us,' said Jenny Zhao, a managing director of WildChina, which specializes in boutique and luxury routes for international travelers. She said business is up 50% compared with before the pandemic. While the U.S. remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30% of their current business, European travelers now make up 15–20% of their clients, a sharp increase from less than 5% before 2019, according to Zhao. 'We're quite optimistic' Zhao said, 'we hope these benefits will continue.' Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, said the visa-free policy has significantly boosted tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on their website for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, with 75% of the visitors from visa-free regions. No major African country is eligible for visa-free entry, despite the continent's relatively close ties with China. Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. The policy is limited to 60 ports of entry, according to the country's National Immigration Administration. The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren't: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Aside from the U.K., Sweden is the only other high-income European country that didn't make the 30-day list. Ties with China have frayed since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but turned up months later in police custody in mainland China. Ting writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Ken Moritsugu and video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.
