The Chinese government announced on Wednesday that foreign travelers arriving on international cruises can stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa, in its latest attempt to boost the cruise industry and encourage inbound tourism.
The new regulation, which goes into effect on the same day, means foreigners traveling in tour groups of at least two people must enter China via all 13 cruise ports in the country, from Dalian in Liaoning province in the north to Sanya on Hainan Island. You will be able to enter the country without. South.
“The full implementation of the visa-free entry policy for foreign tourist groups participating in cruises will provide policy support for the development of the cruise economy and industry, and create a new engine for quality development.” Director Mao Xu said. National Immigration Agency (NIA) Directorate of Foreigners Management.
Mao said the new visa policy would also help attract more tourists to China and boost exchanges with other countries.
The policy is an extension of a 2016 pilot program that limited entry points to the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal. The plan was suspended during the pandemic and restarted last year.
According to the NIA notification, travel agencies handling travel must be registered in mainland China. Also, the entire tour group must enter and exit China at the same time, and visitors can travel to Beijing or coastal provinces in 15 days.
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Made in China: Construction begins on second domestic cruise ship
Made in China: Construction begins on second domestic cruise ship
Beijing launched a series of attraction campaigns last year to lure back foreign tourists amid a pandemic-induced tourism recession and economic downturn.
In December, China began allowing travelers from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia 15 days of visa-free entry for business, tourism, family visits and transit purposes. A mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Singapore also entered into force in February.
China is also expanding its visa-free transit policy, with the addition of Norway in November, bringing the number of eligible countries to 54. Nationals of these countries do not need a visa to enter China as long as they have booked a ticket to a third country or region.
On Wednesday, seven cruise ports were also added to the original 31 as eligible entry points under the visa-free transit policy. Most of them are airports, most of which allow visa-free stays of up to 6 days, including: Newly added cruise port. However, three of the 38 entry points only allow visa-free stays of three days.
According to official data, 21 international cruises currently operate from Chinese ports.
Despite the Chinese government’s efforts, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan remains below pre-pandemic levels.
According to NIA statistics, 13 million foreigners crossed the border into and out of mainland China in the first quarter of this year. This is four times higher than the same period last year, but is down about 40 percent compared to the first three months of 2019. .
