BEIJING: China witnessed a surge in international arrivals in the first quarter of 2024, with the number of foreign travelers tripling compared to the same period last year. This spike can be attributed to China’s recent measures to optimize its visa system and policies, providing greater convenience for foreigners visiting the country.
People’s Daily quoted official data which indicates that China granted 466,000 visas and entry documents to foreigners between January and March, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 118.8%. Moreover, nearly 1.99 million foreigners entered China without a visa, marking a remarkable 266.1% increase compared to the figures from 2023.
Among the measures implemented are reducing visa application requirements, gradually lowering fees, simplifying procedures for international students, exempting some from fingerprinting, waiving visa appointments, and introducing visa-free access for certain nations.
On July 26, 2023, China resumed its 15-day visa-free policy for Singaporeans an
d Bruneians with ordinary passports for business, tourism, visiting relatives, and transit. On December 1, 2023, it granted unilateral visa-free entry to France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia.
Three months later, the visa-free policy extended to Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. As of March 1, 2024, a mutual visa exemption agreement with Thailand also took effect.
To date, 989,000 foreign nationals from these 15 countries have entered China visa-free, accounting for over 60% of visitors from these nations, with numbers continuing to rise.
The relaxed visa rules have spurred interest among foreigners to visit China for tourism, business, and education opportunities.
Travel agencies have reported a surge in inquiries and bookings for China tours from countries benefiting from the visa-free policies.
The visa relaxations have also facilitated increased bilateral exchanges between China and partner nations like Thailand.
As China continues opening its bo
rders, the country anticipates welcoming more international visitors, further boosting cultural understanding and economic cooperation globally.
Source: Emirates News Agency