On January 1, 2024, the Adora Magic City, the first large-scale cruise ship made in China, was waiting for the first batch of commercial passengers at the Shanghai dock.
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Passengers entering China on international cruise ships can stay visa-free in some Chinese provinces for up to 15 days. The government said on WednesdayBeijing is trying to develop its cruise and tourism industries.
The regulations require foreigners to enter from one of China’s 13 coastal cruise ports, according to a statement from China’s National Immigration Administration (CNI).
Tourists must join a tour group consisting of at least two people organized by a Chinese travel agency and depart on the same cruise ship. Tour groups can go to Beijing or other coastal provinces.
“The full implementation of the visa-free entry policy for foreign tourists taking cruises is an important pillar in accelerating the development of China’s cruise economy and an important measure to promote China’s institutional opening up,” CNI said in a statement.
Since the beginning of this year, my country’s cruise industry has made great progress. my country’s first domestically produced cruise ship “Adora Magic City” made its maiden voyage on January 1. state media.
On Wednesday, seven more cruise ports were added to the previous 31 as eligible entry points for China’s current transit visa-free policy.
Visa-free transit allows citizens of certain countries to stay in China for up to 144 hours without a visa when transiting to another country. November, Added Norway The total number of countries that can visit China without visa is 54.
CNI said the latest visa-free travel policy reflects China’s “determination and attitude” to “open up to the world” and is a step to promote better exchanges between China and foreign countries.
China has been trying to attract tourists since it reopened its borders and began resuming international routes last year, ending three years of strict COVID-19 policies.
In December, the country offered temporary visa exemptions of up to 15 days to citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.Beijing also Sign mutual visa exemption agreement February with Singapore. The plan is valid until November this year.
Businesses have also been working hard to improve the travel experience for foreign tourists. Alibaba’s Ant Group recently allowed Chinese tourists to spend up to $2,000 a year through its Alipay mobile app without having to register an ID with the company.
The efforts come as China has failed to restore the number of foreign tourists to pre-pandemic levels, although domestic tourism has rebounded, according to the China National Tourism Administration.
data Data show that in the first three months of this year, 13 million foreigners entered and exited China, a drop of more than 40% from the same period in 2019.
—CNBC’s Vivien Soo contributed to this report.
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