China recorded over 4.36 million inbound tourist arrivals in the first half of 2024, a 5.4-fold increase compared to the same period the previous year, new data showed.
According to a report from China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA), the number of international travelers entering China through the 72/144-hour visa-free transit policies increased during this time fourfold year-over-year.
Under the 144-hour visa-free policy, visitors from 54 countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, can enter China for up to 144 hours without a visa for short-term activities like tourism and business.
Travelers are taking advantage of this policy to explore China’s culture, streets, and landscapes.Â
Beyond the expanded visa-free policies, China has implemented other measures to facilitate foreign nationals’ entry and stay, such as relaxed visa application requirements, simplified procedures, exemption of border checks for certain transit passengers, and more convenient mobile payment services.
The NIA’s Director of the visa and travel management division, He Feng, stated that China will further improve and optimize the visa-free transit policy. This further includes coordinating visa-free durations, increasing the number of visa-free ports, expanding the areas where foreigners can visit, and adding more eligible countries. The goal is to continuously enhance the convenience for foreign visitors to China.
Read more: China sees surge in foreign tourism with visa-free policies, diverse payment options
The 72-hour visa-free transit policy was first implemented in 2013 at select Chinese cities. In 2016 and 2017, the 144-hour visa-free policy was expanded to additional regions. As of now, the 144-hour visa-free policy covers 37 ports across 16 provinces in China, benefiting visitors from 54 countries.
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