Polish residents are the newest to profit from China’s visa-free scheme, which goals to spice up tourism.
China has prolonged visa-free journey to Poland, Australia and New Zealand till the top of 2025.
Because the begin of 2024, the scheme has been introduced in phases, with 11 different European international locations and Malaysia additionally gaining visa-free entry. It goals to encourage extra folks to go to China for enterprise and tourism, and promote exchanges between Chinese language residents and international nationals.
Residents of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Eire, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland are among the many European international locations allowed to enter China with no visa till the top of subsequent yr. Polish residents will be part of the listing on 1 July.
The purpose is “to facilitate the high-quality improvement of Chinese language and international personnel exchanges and high-level opening as much as the skin world,” International Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a briefing on the preliminary announcement made in November.
Visa-free entry can be granted for as much as 15 days within the trial programme.
Worldwide journey to China is but to bounce again
China’s strict pandemic measures, which included required quarantines for all arrivals, discouraged many individuals from visiting for practically three years. The restrictions have been lifted early final yr, however worldwide journey has but to bounce again to pre-pandemic ranges.
China beforehand allowed residents of Brunei, Japan and Singapore to enter with no visa however suspended that after the COVID-19 outbreak. It resumed visa-free entry for Brunei and Singapore in July however has not completed so for Japan.
In 2023, China recorded 35.5 million entries and exits by foreigners, in response to immigration statistics. That compares to 97.7 million for all of 2019, the final yr earlier than the pandemic.
The federal government has been looking for international funding to assist enhance a sluggish financial system, and a few businesspeople have been coming for commerce gala’s and conferences, together with Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook dinner. International vacationers are nonetheless a uncommon sight in comparison with earlier than the pandemic.
How else is China simplifying journey for Europeans?
Final yr noticed a surge in curiosity in China as a vacationer vacation spot amongst Europeans.
Knowledge from on-line journey company Journey.com confirmed a 663 per cent enhance in general bookings from Europe to China in comparison with 2022, and an virtually 29 per cent enhance on 2019.
The UK and Germany have been amongst the highest 10 sources of inbound travellers to China globally, the info exhibits.
Shanghai stays the preferred vacation spot amongst Europeans with its alluring mix of modernity and custom, adopted by Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Sanya, a beachside metropolis on the southern finish of China’s Hainan Island, and Chengdu – the capital of southwestern China’s Sichuan province – are rising locations.
Past it is new visa-free schemes, the nation is additional encouraging inbound tourism by selling cultural and historic sights in partnership with Journey.com. China can be enhancing tourism infrastructure by investing in expertise, journey guides and e-payment techniques.