China Announces Measures to Facilitate Foreign Travelers
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China has announced plans to resume visa-free policies and make it easier for foreign tourists to book tickets, register at hotels and use their overseas bank cards in an effort to boost the tourism industry.
The plans were revealed in an article published on the website of the State Council on Friday night, and it underscored the important role of tourism in spurring economic growth.
The release of the article coincides with the beginning of the eight-day public holiday which sees the Mid-Autumn Festival overlapping with the National Day break, making it a boon for travel and consumption.
China is expecting travelers to make nearly 900 million trips during the holiday.
The plan addresses foreign travelers' concerns and calls to optimize visa application systems and provide easier access to flights and payment systems to foreign travellers.
Payments and the use of digital platforms unique to the country represent a practical hurdle for many foreign tourists. It’s often inconvenient to use cash, though the country holds that rejecting cash is illegal.
Other initiatives include making it easier for foreign visitors to use their foreign bank cards and other digital payments and simplifying the currency exchange process.
There has been some progress on that front, with WeChat Pay and Alipay now allowing overseas credit cards to be linked and the Digital yuan allowing visa and MasterCard top-ups.
Efforts to strengthen inbound travel would be among the key measures to boost the tourism industry.
To facilitate inbound travel, the State Council vowed to optimize visa and customs clearance policies and boost visa handling and approval efficiency. That’s in line with a previous government pledge to simplify the process, including asking visa applicants to list where they have traveled in the past year rather than five years.
The country will also restore visa-free policies, improve visa-on-arrival, and allow exemptions for transit and regional entry visas.
The published plan also calls for more research and an increase in the number of visa-exempt countries, as well as expanding international air travel by adding more routes, especially to countries that are primary sources of tourists.
China will also seek to resume and increase international flights, especially from neighboring nations and countries that are the main sources of inbound travelers.
Other measures include encouraging local governments to integrate tourism with cultural activities such as art performances, sports events and exhibitions, improving the management of tourist resorts, and conducting promotional activities to promote holiday consumption.
The government also plans to train tourist guides, and employees at tourist attractions and hotels in foreign languages.
References: State Council
*The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author.*
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