China made visa-free entry for citizens of 74 countries, the number of tourists increased by 45%

China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023 after lifting tight restrictions imposed due to COVID-19, but only 13.8 million people visited China that year.

China has made historic changes in its visa rules. With these changes, citizens of 74 countries can now enter China without a visa. Citizens of these 74 countries can stay in China for 30 days without a visa. The aim of this policy of China is to promote tourism and economy. Last year, more than 2 crore people went to China without a visa, which is 45 percent more than 2023, i.e. almost double the number. After the relaxation of visa rules, a large number of foreign tourists are traveling to China.

Visa-free entry is providing convenience to travelers

Georgy Shavadze, a Georgian citizen living in Austria, said about his recent visit to the ‘Temple of Heaven’ in Beijing, “It really makes travel easier because applying for a visa and going through the whole process was a hassle.” Although most tourist destinations are still filled with domestic tourists, the tourism industry is preparing for a potential increase in foreign visitors.

For citizens of which countries visa-free entry is done

China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023 after lifting the strict restrictions imposed due to Kovid-19, but only 1.38 crore people visited China that year, which is less than half the figure of 3.19 crore in 2019 before the pandemic. In December 2023, China announced visa-free travel for France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Since then, most European countries have got this facility and with the addition of Azerbaijan to this list on July 16, the number of these countries will increase to 75.

Big increase in the number of European travelers

People associated with the tourism business in China are busy preparing for the upcoming surge in the number of travelers. Meanwhile, companies like WildChina have reported a big increase in the number of foreign travelers coming to China. Jenny Zhao, managing director of WildChina, said business has grown by 50% compared to before the pandemic, with European travellers now making up 20 per cent of the total.

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