China's National Immigration Administration (CNI) said on May 15 that international visitors arriving by cruise ship will be granted visa-free entry for up to 15 days in 13 cities including Tianjin, Shanghai, Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, and Qingdao. Visitors must travel in groups of two or more, managed by a travel agency in China, and arrive and depart on the same itinerary. Cruise ship visitors can visit Beijing or other coastal provinces.
CNI said visa exemptions for cruise ship arrivals are an important measure to boost tourism and the country’s economy . China’s cruise industry has made great strides this year, with the first domestically built cruise ship, Adora Magic City, set sail on January 1.
Also on May 15, CNI added seven more tourist ports to the list of visa-free entry for visitors, bringing the total number of ports to 38. The government said the latest visa-free policy reflects China's "determination and attitude" to open up to the world .
Previously, China had many visa relaxation policies to attract international visitors such as bilateral visa exemptions with Thailand and Singapore; temporary exemptions (up to 15 days) for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.
China has been trying to attract international visitors since it opened its borders in early 2023 and began restoring international flights, ending three years of strict Covid-19 prevention.
Travel companies are also trying to improve the travel experience for international visitors. Ant Group, a subsidiary of Alibaba, allows visitors to China to spend up to $2,000 a year through its Alipay mobile app without registering an ID with the company.
The moves come as the country struggles to fully restore its pre-pandemic international arrivals, even as domestic tourism is booming. In the first quarter, China recorded 13 million international arrivals, down more than 40% from the same period in 2019.
TH (according to VnExpress)Source
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