China has announced an expansion of its visa-free policy, now allowing citizens from nine additional countries to enter without a visa. This move is part of an effort to boost tourism and business travel as the country aims to return to pre-pandemic levels of international visitation.
New Visa-Free Countries
Starting Friday, individuals holding ordinary passports from the following countries can visit China for up to 15 days without a visa:
- Slovakia
- Norway
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Andorra
- Monaco
- Liechtenstein
- South Korea
This policy will remain in effect until December 31, 2025.
Impact on Tourism
South Korea, a significant source of tourism for China, saw 4.3 million visitors in 2019. However, this number dropped to less than 1.3 million in 2023. The new visa-free policy is expected to encourage more South Koreans to visit.
Following the announcement, shares of Chinese and Korean travel companies saw a rise. For instance, Trip.com shares increased by over 5%, while Jin Air experienced nearly a 4% rise.
Tourism Recovery Efforts
China is actively working to attract more international visitors. Despite welcoming 49.1 million travelers in 2019, only 17.25 million foreigners had arrived by July 2024. The visa-free program has been crucial in this effort, with a reported 4.9 million tourists utilizing it in the third quarter of 2024.
Additionally, China is addressing common challenges faced by international visitors, such as payment issues. Measures are being implemented to ensure major tourist attractions accept foreign credit cards and cash.
Restoring Flight Capacity
To further aid in the recovery of its tourism sector, China is increasing flight capacity to Europe, despite global airlines reducing services due to low demand and operational challenges related to Russian airspace restrictions.
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