China’s plan to boost tourism promises easier visas, payment methods and travel bookings for foreigners

As country kicks off ‘golden week’ holiday, Beijing unveils scheme to lure international travellers in bid to reinvigorate sluggish economy

Wide-ranging plan calls for visa-free policies, more air routes, and convenient ways to pay using foreign bank cards and digital platforms

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Travellers are expected to make nearly 900 million trips in mainland China during this year’s National Day public holiday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:34pm, 30 Sep 2023Updated: 4:18pm, 30 Sep 2023

China unveiled a plan to boost the tourism industry and attract more foreign visitors by resuming visa-free policies and making travel and payments easier as the country began its National Day “golden week” holiday.

The plan was published on the website of the State Council, China’s cabinet, on Friday night but was dated Wednesday.

It came as travellers are expected to make nearly 900 million trips in mainland China during the public holiday marking National Day on October 1. This year the Mid-Autumn Festival overlaps with the National Day break, making it a longer holiday than usual and giving people more time to travel.

The document said efforts to strengthen inbound travel would be among the key measures to boost the tourism industry, which reopened in January after being halted for three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Officials hope the holiday travel boom will give a short-term boost to China’s sluggish post-pandemic economy.

Other measures include encouraging local governments to integrate tourism with cultural events such as art performances, sports events and exhibitions, as well as improving management of tourist resorts and launching promotions to boost holiday consumption.

The plan also promises to make visa application processing more efficient, restore visa-free policies, leverage port visas – those applied for and granted at the border – and to allow exemptions for transit and regional entry visas.

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