The new visa-free policy, which took effect on 1 December, has led to a rapid increase in inbound travellers, with the inland municipality of Chongqing seeing around 600 people enter the country through its ports in the first 10 days, an increase of nearly 30 per cent on the previous month.
Under the policy, ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia can now enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.
In just 10 days, visa-free entry from these six countries accounted for more than half of inbound visitors, according to the Exit-Entry Management Corps of the Chongqing Public Security Bureau.
Chongqing, a megacity of over 32 million people on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has become a hot destination in recent years with its unique mountainous landscape, delicious local cuisine and rich 3,000-year history.
The policy, with a trial period from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024, was widely seen as a boost to China’s inbound tourism and international exchanges.
Li Yike studied in France and married a Frenchman. The couple moved to Chongqing in 2010 and now work in Sino-French cultural exchange and trade.
“(The visa-free policy) is good news for us, especially for my husband’s family in France,” she said. “Now they are planning a trip to Chongqing.”
She said it used to take a lot of preparation and paperwork to apply for a visitor’s visa to China.
Local airlines also predict an increase in market demand due to the new visa-free policy.
“The new policy will play a positive role in expanding the inbound market and bring obvious sales growth in the near future,” said Yang Jiuzhou, general manager of the Chongqing branch of Hainan Airlines, which operates direct flights from Chongqing to Paris, Rome and Madrid.
“We believe more foreign travellers will benefit from this policy as Chongqing develops into an international aviation hub.”
On 1 December, the first day of the visa-free policy, the number of arrivals from these six countries increased by more than 12 per cent over the previous day, with 2,029 people entering China without a visa, according to China’s National Immigration Bureau.
