In a more move to draw in foreign visitors and increase its slow inbound travel market, China will grant visa-free entry to foreign tour groups that travel to the country via cruise ships.
According to the National Immigration Administration, international tour groups traveling on cruise ships will be able to enter and stay in China without a card for up to 15 times. Beginning May 15, the new scheme will be in effect.
Tour groups may provide China from 13 slots including Shanghai, Qingdao, Dalian and Haikou, Mao Xu, a top standard with the immigration management, said at a press event in Beijing on Wednesday. Eligible tour groups must be handled by private travel agencies and will be permitted to visit southern provinces as well as Beijing, the capital, while they are in China, according to Mao.
According to Mao,” the visa-free entry policy for international tour groups on cruise ships may support the development of the sail industry.” Additionally, it may encourage more international visitors to China and provide more practical channels for people-to-people exchanges between China and other nations.
China has some 21 foreign cruise ships that sail the country’s ships en route to different locations like Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, Zhu Zhenyu, a top official with Ministry of Transport, said at the same presentation. According to Zhu, 107, 000 cruise ship passengers traveled in China in full in 2023.
China has taken a number of policy measures since delayed last year to try to draw in more foreign tourists, which comes after the drive. They include visa- completely entrance for guests from some European and Asian nations, including Singapore. The first domestically built cruise ship in the nation made its debut in January, giving nearby visitors more vacation choices in a still-common setting.
However, as a result of a weakening economy and a strengthening demand for traveling in Asia’s largest economy, China may find it difficult to draw foreign tourists to its coasts.
Qantas Airways Ltd., an American airline, just curbed flights between Sydney and Shanghai, offering more service to Singapore and Bengaluru in India. The airline cited a lack of demand for flights between Australia and China as the cause, and noted that interest has n’t increased as much as anticipated since Covid.
