China to reopen borders to foreign tourists
Hina will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago by resuming the issuance of all types of visas on Wednesday.
The removal of this final border control measure imposed to combat COVID-19 comes after authorities declared victory over a recent outbreak of the virus last month.
The boost to the tourism industry should assist in reviving a $17 trillion economy that experienced one of its slowest growth rates in nearly half a century last year.
China’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that area that did not require visas before the pandemic will again be visa-free. This includes the southern tourist island of Hainan and cruise ships docking at Shanghai port.
Hong Kong and Macau visa-free entry to the southern manufacturing hub of Guangdong will also be reinstated.
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Foreign nationals with valid visas issued before March 28, 2020, will also be permitted to enter China, according to the ministry.
“Resuming applications for all types of visas removes another significant barrier to normal travel between the United Kingdom and China,” said Tom Simpson, managing director of the China-Britain Business Council, in an interview with Reuters.
Since January, the (council) has seen an increase in business travel applications and arrivals; however, this news should lead to a significant increase in tourism-related visits.
OUTBOUND ADVENTURE
In January, China lifted its warning against foreign travel for its citizens and added 40 more countries to its list of countries where group tours are permitted, bringing the total to 60.
According to the Chinese flight tracking application Flight Master, the number of inbound and outbound international flights during the week of March 6 increased by more than 350% compared to the previous year, reaching nearly 2,500 flights. However, this number was still only 17.4% of 2019 levels.
In 2022, there were only 115,7 million border crossings into and out of China, with foreigners accounting for approximately 4.5 million.
In contrast, China recorded 670 million international trips in 2019, of which 97.7 million were made by foreigners.
Beijing abandoned its draconian zero-COVID policies in December, and quarantine requirements for incoming travelers were eliminated in January.
China achieved a “smooth transition” in its response to COVID-19 in less than two months, according to the country’s new premier Li Qiang, who stated on Monday that the country’s strategies and measures were flawless.
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