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News Topical, Digital Desk : Foreign tourists are flocking back to China as the country loosened its visa policy to an unprecedented level. Citizens of 74 countries can now enter China without a visa for up to 30 days, a major change from previous rules.
The Chinese government has expanded visa-free entry to boost tourism, the economy and its softpower. According to the National Immigration Administration, more than 20 million foreign visitors entered China without a visa in 2024 (about one-third of the total), double the number from the previous year.
"It really helps people to travel because it's so troublesome to apply for a visa and go through the process," Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said during a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
China gave free visa to these countries in 2023
However, domestic visitors still far outnumber foreign visitors in most tourist destinations. Travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for an expected influx of summer holiday visitors. In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Since then, almost all of Europe has been extended.
Last month, citizens of five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan also became eligible, followed by four West Asian nations. The number will reach 75 with the addition of Azerbaijan on July 16.
While the US remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30 per cent of their current business, European travellers now make up 15-20 per cent of their clientele, up from less than five per cent before 2019.
Shanghai-based online travel agency Trip.com Group said the visa-free policy has given a big boost to tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on its website for travel to China in the first three months of this year doubled compared with the same period last year, with 75 percent of visitors coming from visa-free zones.
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