Visa-Free Policy Sparks Tourism Boom

The relaxation of China’s visa-free transit policy has ignited a surge in global interest in traveling to the country, as searches for Chinese destinations have skyrocketed on international travel platforms.

Under the updated policy, the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers has been extended from the previous 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. Within just 30 minutes of the policy’s announcement on Tuesday, searches for Chinese destinations on Ctrip’s overseas platforms soared, with increases of 85 percent in Europe, 163 percent in the Americas, and 116 percent in the Asia-Pacific region.

The impact was swift. At 3:00 AM Local Time on Wednesday, Hainan Airlines flight HU484 from Melbourne touched down at the Haikou Meilan International Airport, carrying the first group of visa-free transit travelers under the new policy.