In the pursuit of kickstarting the return of international tourists, after being one of the latest countries to lift travel restrictions, China has been rolling out visa-free entry to an increasing number of states.
The visa-free entry will apply as a trial. From 14 March to 30 November, citizens of Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland planning to visit China for any purpose, be it tourism, business or just transiting, will no longer need to apply for a visa.
Talks about including Belgium to the visa-exemption trial were confirmed in January by Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister, following a diplomatic mission to China. Switzerland and Ireland were also already in the works in January, announced during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Europe amid the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
“March 14, China will further extend, on a pilot basis, visa exemption to six countries including Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. We hope more countries will offer Chinese citizens visa facilitation, and work with us to build fast-track networks for cross-border travels and encourage speedy resumption of international passenger flights. This will make it more convenient for Chinese citizens to travel abroad, and make foreign friends feel at home in China”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
China only started reconnecting with the world last year and has been taking active steps to return to pre-Covid tourism numbers. As of 1 December, citizens of 5 EU Member States, as well as Malaysia, are able to visit China visa-free for up to 15 days. Announced on 24 November, the visa exemption for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain aims not only to promote tourism but also “to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world”, according to a briefing by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
Moreover, from the beginning of this year, a mutual visa-waver for stays of up to 30 days was reinstated between China and Singapore. A similar agreement with Thailand will started applying on 1 March.
The effects of the efforts were noticed during the Spring Festival travel period, around the Lunar New Year. Mao Ning, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry, has confirmed that 3.23 million people travelled to China for the festival, with a notable surge from France, Germany, Malaysia and Singapore.
In a different approach to boosting tourism, China and France have declared 2024 a year of culture and tourism exchange, with a series of exhibitions and performances organised in both countries over the course of the year aimed at promoting each other as tourism destinations.
