Latest news with #foreignVisitors
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
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.
South China Morning Post
16-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
5 ways to enter mainland China without a visa
Visiting China used to be a costly, time-consuming process. Obtaining a Chinese visa often requires filling out pages of paperwork, paying more than US$100, and waiting for days for the documents to be processed. But things have changed rapidly over the past few years, as Beijing has introduced a slew of new visa-free entry policies in a bid to attract more foreign visitors and boost the country's tourism sector. Most famously, the country now allows travellers from certain countries that are transiting through China to stay in the country without a visa for up to 10 days. The scheme currently covers passport holders from 55 nations, with Indonesia becoming the latest country to be included in June. There are also several other visa-free policies in effect, each of which has different rules and eligibility criteria. Here are five different options for travellers planning to enter the mainland without a Chinese visa. 1. Transit through Chinese cities (10 days) Passport holders from 55 nations – including Australia, Russia, the United States and countries throughout Europe – can enjoy an extended stay in much of mainland China when transiting through one of its international airports. Travellers can enter China via 60 ports of entry across 24 provincial-level regions under the scheme, including airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guilin, Kunming, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen, Guangdong province and the Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang cluster.
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Tourism slump continues - April data shows decline in visitor numbers
Latest tourism numbers point to a continuing decline in inbound visitors, a worrying trend for businesses in the sector. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), over half a million tourists (528,100) completed trips to Ireland in April, spending approximately €375 million on their trips, excluding air fares. But the headline number was down 4 per cent on the same month last year while spending decreased more than 10 per cent. The figures continue a downward trend in foreign visitor numbers that first emerged last September, a pattern that has raised some eyebrows in the trade which has said it does not necessarily fit with on-the-ground experience. READ MORE [ Is tourism really in crisis? Opens in new window ] [ Tourism bosses meet CSO in debate over visitor numbers Opens in new window ] Global tourist markets have struggled to recover from the pandemic and uncertainty around US trade policy and the associated volatility on stock markets may now be playing into the trend. Tourism is one of Ireland's largest indigenous industries, employing 257,900 people. The CSO noted 'the largest contingent' of visitors came from Britain (41 per cent) followed by visitors from the United States (18 per cent). The main reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday (40 per cent) followed by visiting friends or family (38 per cent). More visitors stayed with family or in their own property (42 per cent) than in any other accommodation type, and the typical visit lasted 6.5 nights, the CSO indicated. A geographical breakdown of the figures showed that visitors from Britain were up 2 per cent compared with April 2024, while visitors from all other areas were down. Visitors from continental Europe were down 8 per cent while visitors from North America were down 1 per cent. When compared with April 2023, visitors from Britain were up 13 per cent while those from the US, continental Europe and the rest of the world were up 8 per cent, 28 per cent and 26 per cent respectively. Visitors from Britian accounted for €96 million (26 per cent) of total €375 million spend, Continental Europe for €134 million (36 per cent), North America for €121 million (32 per cent), and visitors from the rest of the world for €25 million (7 per cent).
Reuters
25-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Thailand records 1.75% y/y drop in foreign visitors so far in 2025
BANGKOK, May 20 (Reuters) - Thailand's foreign tourist arrivals from January 1 to May 18 fell 1.75% from the same period a year earlier, the Tourism Ministry said on Tuesday. There were about 13.4 million foreign visitors in the period, it said in a statement. China was the largest source market, with 1.83 million visitors. On Monday, the National Economic and Social Development Council cut its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year to 37 million from 38 million. There was a record of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, before the pandemic.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba's Amap offers ride-hailing function catering to foreign visitors in China
Amap , the mapping and local services business under Alibaba Group Holding , has introduced a ride-hailing feature on the platform's English version, allowing foreign visitors in mainland China to get transport in more than 360 domestic cities. The new feature, which comes months after Amap's English-language version was launched in February, is accessible via a button on the homepage. Initially, the app will accept users' registered mainland, Hong Kong and Macau phone numbers. The new Amap feature reflects the private sector's support for China's visa-free travel scheme , which allows visitors from 43 countries to stay for up to 30 days on the mainland. The scheme also allows citizens from dozens of other countries to spend 240 hours on the mainland during transit. The Amap sign is seen at the company's headquarters in Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock During the Labour Day 'golden week' holiday from May 1 to 5, some 380,000 foreign visitors entered the mainland visa-free, up 73 per cent from a year earlier, according to data from the National Immigration Administration.
