Visa-free policy to bring more foreign tourists

China decided last week to extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens of 12 countries, of which 11 are European nations, until the end of 2025. This extension underscores the prospects for China-Europe engagement in the years ahead and will bring a fresh wave of European tourists to China, analysts said.

China announced a visa-free policy for five European countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain — from Dec 1 of last year to Nov 30 this year, with people from these countries allowed to stay on the mainland for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family trips or transit without a visa.

The visa-free policy was then extended to six more European countries: Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg, from March 14 to Nov 30 to further boost inbound tourism.

During his visit to France, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China welcomes visits by more people from France, and will extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens from 12 countries, including France, up to the end of 2025.

"The recent extension of both the time limit and the list of countries brings a positive outlook for the long run. It alleviates concerns among European stakeholders regarding the policy's duration," said Peng Han, chief analyst for tourism media company Travel Daily.

Travel Daily data show that the total number of inbound tourists from visa-exempt countries in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand increased more than twofold year-on-year during the Labor Day holiday. In contrast, inbound tourism from Europe as of this year stood at only 30 percent of 2019 figures.

According to Peng, European operators typically formulate outbound tourism plans for the following year in June and July, and decisions on whether to engage with Chinese products hinge on whether they receive a clear answer in time.

"The industry has been keeping an eye on long-term China-Europe relations and the continuity of the visa policy," he said.

He said now that China has given a clear answer on opening its door to Europe through successive policies, it signals to the world the promise of a prosperous future.

Although there has not been a sharp increase in the number of European tour groups coming to China until now, the number of independent travelers indicates the upside of the visa-free policy.

Ctrip data said that on March 14 alone, when the visa-free rules took effect, the number of inbound tourism bookings from the six newly added countries more than doubled compared with last year. The number of travel bookings from Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland tripled.

According to the National Immigration Administration, more than 170,000 international visitors entered China visa-free through Shanghai Pudong International Airport in the first quarter of this year, showing an increase of 23.6 percent year-on-year.

Shanghai, one of the top destinations for European tourists, has prepared itself for a surge in inbound tourism.

"The resumption of international flights, the visa-free policy, and the full recovery of business at Shanghai International Cruise Home Port will contribute to the number of inbound tourists arriving in Shanghai, especially free independent travelers," said Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Spring Tour, a travel company in Shanghai.

David Huang, a French national who studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, and now works for a French chocolate company in Beijing, said he has applied for both student and work visas in the past.

"The student visa requires at least two months of preparations, including submitting various documents. I also spent more than two months preparing for my work visa after graduating from UIBE," he said.

Young French travelers avoid countries that have lengthy visa application procedures, he said, adding that being on a limited budget, buying an air ticket only to have a visa application rejected makes little financial sense for them.

Business opportunities

"My colleagues in global companies find it much simpler to travel. …Two-week visa-free access allows people to explore business opportunities in China."

Laura Carbonell, a sales manager in Toledo, which is about 75 kilometers from the Spanish capital Madrid, said she visited China in November before the visa-free policy was introduced. Even the location of an embassy or consulate from a visa applicant's home can influence the travel decisions, she said.

For European countries not on the visa-free list, the application procedures have been streamlined. China has been simplifying its visa procedures worldwide, including canceling appointment requirements and fingerprints for qualified applicants temporarily. Visa fees for travel to China before December for people of all countries have also been cut by 25 percent, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese embassy in Washington announced the simplification of the tourist visa application process for United States citizens starting from Jan 1 this year. US tourists can now enter China without providing round trip air tickets, hotel reservations, itineraries or an invitation letter.

"The future looks promising," Peng of Travel Daily said. "The revival of inbound tourism to its previous peak may simply be a matter of time."

While China is sending clear signals of openness, political factors in the West are casting a shadow over cross-border travel. In March, the US said it is "taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on multiple Hong Kong officials", without elaborating on the visa measures or the officials targeted.

Kuang Hanying contributed to this story.