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☆ Visiting China in 2024: A guide to visas, mobile payments and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’ve put together a guide to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding China travel. China travel FAQsDo you need a visa to go to China? However, travelers visiting under these visa-free transit programs have more restrictions in terms of places they can visit. Exploring the country via China’s vast high-speed railway network is not an option for those entering under the two transit visa schemes. Beijing, China's capital city, accepts international travelers visiting under the 144-hour visa-free transit program.

Persons: it’s, ”, Denny Tian, Gabriela Correia, Correia, Tian, Greg Baker, Correira, ” Gabriela Correia, David Tucker, We’ve, John Seaton Callahan, China ’, Kevin Frayer, –, ” Correira, you’ve, Didi, Uber, Yan Cong, China’s Organizations: CNN, Immigration Administration, China, Google, Getty, “, Service, Shanghai Hongqiao, Hong Kong, Hong, Hong Kong Immigration, Travelers, Facebook, ”, Publishing, United, US, Baidu, Apple, China Railway, Bloomberg Locations: China, Beijing, Portugal, Shanghai, AFP, “, Hunan, Singapore, Thailand, Austria, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, New York, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong, Macau, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Asia, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, Hainan, China's, Hawaii, ”, Canada

With a plum position atop many "Best Places to Travel" lists, Japan is on track to welcome a record-breaking number of travelers in 2024. Summer trips are up too, with inbound bookings doubling since last summer, a representative from the travel website Trip.com told CNBC Travel. In 2019, China welcomed some 49.1 million travelers — as of July this year, around 17.25 million foreigners had arrived, according to Chinese state media. "The USD/JPY exchange rate [moved] from approximately 140 in January 2024 to over 160 by July 2024, making Japan more affordable," said Chakraborty. But a Pew Research Center report shows that, among 35 surveyed countries, more than half have unfavorable views of China.

Persons: Trip.com, Joydeep Chakraborty, Chakraborty, Jasmine Leung Organizations: National Immigration Administration, CNBC Travel, Japan, Japan Federation of Service & Tourism Industries Workers ' Unions, East Asia, Pew Research Center, France — Locations: Japan, China, Kiyomizu, dera, Kyoto, United States, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Saharan Africa, Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, South Korea

☆ How ‘special forces travelers’ are making – and then breaking – Chinese tourism destinations
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Chris Lau | Hassan Tayir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The previously nondescript city in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong became one of China’s hottest spots for domestic tourism last year thanks to its affordable and juicy skewered meat. They’re known as “special forces travelers” because, like soldiers, they move from one checkpoint to another under incredibly tight schedules, often over weekends or short holidays. For the first half of this year, 29.22 million foreign nationals entered and exited, according to the latest figures. But the flash-mob-style approach of “special forces travelers” – switching from one community to the next – has called into question whether that type of domestic tourism is sustainable in the long term. Pan Wenbo, also from Beijing, said his favorite spots included Xi’an, home of the Terracotta Warriors, and Datong, a northern Chinese city known for ancient Buddhist architecture - both offering more affordable accommodation and food.

Persons: ” Zibo, Cici Li Yuetong, “, ”, Li, ” Li, Pan Wenbo, Jiumei, Yang ”, Yang, Mimi Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Immigration Administration, University, Cici, Warriors, China News Service, CNN, Labor, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Locations: Hong Kong, Zibo, Shandong, Beijing, China, Datong, Gansu, Tianshui City, Gansu Province, Weibo, Hong

☆ China announces 15-day visa-free stay in select provinces for cruise travelers to boost tourism
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Adora Magic City, the first made-in-China large cruise ship, waits for its first commercial passengers on the dockyard in Shanghai on January 1, 2024. Travelers entering China via international cruises can stay in select provinces in the country for up to 15 days without a visa, the government said Wednesday, as Beijing attempts to boost its cruise and tourism industry. The regulations require foreigners to enter through one of 13 coastal cruise ports in the country, according to a statement from China's National Immigration Administration (CNI). China's cruise business made major strides this year, with the country's first domestically-built cruise liner, the Adora Magic City, making its first voyage on Jan. 1, according to state-run media. On Wednesday, seven cruise ports were also added as eligible entry points under China's existing visa-free transit policy, on top of the previous 31.

Persons: CNI Organizations: Magic City, Travelers, National Immigration Administration Locations: Magic, China, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ China to extend visa exemption to six European countries
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Wayne Chang | Manveena Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —It’s about to get easier for some foreign travelers to visit China, with the government announcing plans to extend its visa exemption policy to six additional European countries. The exemption will take effect on March 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced on Thursday during a press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress meeting in Beijing. “I wish to share with you that starting from March 14, China will further extend, on a pilot basis, visa exemption to six countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg,” Wang said. In January, China signed a reciprocal agreement with Thailand and Singapore to permanently waive tourist visa requirements for each other’s citizens from March. In November last year, China announced a trial program to allow visitors from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia to enter visa-free for 15 days.

Persons: Wang Yi, “, ” Wang, Premier Li Qiang, Wang, ”, That’s Organizations: CNN, National People’s, Premier, National Immigration Administration Locations: China, Beijing, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Thailand, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Washington

☆ Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Laura He | Marc Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But according to CNN calculations based on official data, the average tourism-related spending per trip was below pre-pandemic levels, as consumer confidence remains weak amid deflationary pressure. However, the most recent holiday season took place over eight days from February 10 to February 18, which was one day more than previous periods. On average, 59.25 million domestic trips per day were made during this holiday period, slightly lower than the 59.29 million trips per day taken in 2019. Movie ticket sales reached a record 8 billion yuan ($1.11 billion) during the eight-day holiday season, according to data released on Sunday by China Film Administration. “The headwinds to growth remain severe and it will take more than a bump in holiday travel for market sentiment to recover,” said Neumann.

Persons: ” Nomura, ”, Frederic Neumann, Neumann, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, CNN, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Hangzhou East Railway, National Immigration Administration, China Film Administration, HSBC, China Index Holdings, Shenzhen Component Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang province, Macao, Asia, Shanghai, Shenzhen

☆ Number of foreign visitors to China in 2023 down more than 60% from pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It has been a year since China reopened its borders, but despite loosening its stringent Covid-19 restrictions, foreign travelers have been slow to return to the country with numbers down more than 60% from pre-pandemic levels. China’s border authorities recorded 35.5 million entries and exits by foreign nationals in 2023, according to the National Immigration Administration. That’s nearly seven times more than the number from 2022, when the country was deep in its three-year self-imposed Covid isolation. More than half of the border crossings made by foreign travelers in 2023 were recorded in the last three months of the year, according to data from the National Immigration Administration. Chinese authorities issued a total of 711,000 residency permits of various types to foreign nationals living in the country in 2023, Zhang added.

Persons: That’s, Zhang Ning, Zhang, Premier Li Qiang Organizations: CNN, National Immigration Administration, Premier, Economic, Embassy Locations: China, Beijing, Switzerland, Ireland, Davos, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, United States

☆ China's domestic tourism is finally back to pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Both figures were lower than what Chinese state media had earlier cited the ministry as predicting: 896 million trips and 782.5 billion yuan in domestic tourism revenue. Golden Week domestic tourism revenue was 753.43 billion yuan ($103.24 billion) — a 1.5% increase from that in 2019, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism . The number of domestic tourist trips rose by 4.1% from 2019 to 826 million during the latest eight-day holiday, the ministry said. BEIJING — China's big "Golden Week" holiday saw domestic tourism rebound to around pre-pandemic levels, while overseas travel had yet to fully recover, according to official figures. That was also below earlier predictions, reported by state media, which forecast nearly 1.6 million trips across the border a day.

Persons: Morgan, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley, Trip.com, Jane Sun, CNBC's Eunice Yoon Organizations: China, Golden, China's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, BEIJING, National Immigration Administration, China's Labor Locations: China, Beijing, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, France, Europe

☆ China's Golden Week: expected consumption boom disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has concluded its Golden Week holiday on a muted note, with key travel and spending data showing weaker-than-expected recovery in consumption amid a wider economic slump. Before the holiday, the ministry had expected domestic travel to hit 896 million trips, and tourism spending to reach 782.5 billion yuan ($107 billion). According to the National Immigration Administration, on average 1.48 million people crossed the border every day during the Golden Week holiday. Weakness at the box officeChina’s box office hit multi-year lows during the holiday week. A recovery in domestic consumption not related to the Golden Week also fell short of expectations.

Persons: ” Goldman Sachs, Tesla, BYD Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, National Immigration Administration, Shenyang North Railway, Stringer, Getty, Citi, Entertainment, Tencent, China Passenger Car Association Sunday, CNN, EV Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, China's, Liaoning, AFP, Tourism

☆ China's cross-border trips during Golden Week holiday recover to 85% of pre-pandemic level
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - China's inbound and outbound trips surged during the eight-day Golden Week holiday this year, official data showed on Saturday, recovering to 85% of their pre-pandemic level but lower than an earlier government estimate. That was equivalent to 85.1% of the number of average trips made in the same period in 2019, and nearly quadruple the 2022 average, the administration said. It had earlier said it expected an average of 1.58 million daily inbound and outbound passenger trips during the holiday. This compared with 830.8 yuan per trip in 2019 when the holiday was seven days long, and 680.6 yuan last year. Travellers made 826 million trips within mainland China, up 71.3% from a year ago and 4.1% higher than in 2019, according to data released by the official Xinhua news agency.

Persons: Florence, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National, National Immigration Administration, Travellers, Xinhua, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Thailand

☆ China Dragon Boat Festival tourism trips above pre-COVID levels -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People and children enjoy themselves by the lakeside at a park during the Dragon Boat festival holiday, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China June 4, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoBEIJING, June 25 (Reuters) - Trips for tourism in China during last week's three-day Dragon Boat Festival climbed 32.3% from a year earlier to an estimated 106 million, 12.8% above the pre-pandemic level in 2019, the ministry of culture and tourism said. Revenue from domestic tourism trips during the Dragon Boat Festival rose 44.5% on year to 37.31 billion yuan ($5.20 billion), recovering to 94.9% of the 2019 level, the tourism ministry said. The comparison between the 2023 and 2019 figures were made "according to comparable standards", the tourism ministry said on its website, without providing details about the metrics. The Dragon Boat Festival tourism rebound is smaller than that during the five-day May Day holiday, when domestic tourism trips surged 70.8% on year and were 19.1% above those of 2019，with revenues up 128.90% on year and on par with 2019, according to tourism ministry data last month.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Roxanne Liu, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, National Immigration Administration, NIA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau

☆ China logs nearly 40 million entry-exit trips in two months
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Passengers wait at Fuyang West Railway Station in China on Feb. 15, 2023. China logged 39.72 million entry and exit trips between Jan. 8 to March 7, according to National Immigration Administration data, showing the revival in travel after Covid-19 restrictions were dismantled. Data showed 122,000 visas and residence permits for foreigners were issued by immigration administration agencies nationwide by March 7, up 33.1% from before the policy U-turn. During the recent Lunar New Year in late January holiday trips surged in the country. The number of people entering and leaving the country hit 1.013 million on Feb. 25, exceeding one million in a single day for the first time since 2020, said the National Immigration Administration.

☆ Holiday trips within China surge after lifting of COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The number of people making trips inside China over the week-long Lunar New Year holiday surged 74% from last year after authorities scrapped COVID-19 curbs that had stifled travel for three years, media reported on Saturday. An estimated 226 million domestic trips were made by all means including plane during the holiday week that ended on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing government figures. That compares with about 130 million domestic trips during the holiday week last year, according to the transport ministry. In the last Lunar New Year holiday before the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019 in the central city of Wuhan, some 420 million trips were made internally. During the Lunar New Year holiday in 2019, a total of 12.53 million cross-border trips were made, the Xinhua news agency reported.

☆ Holiday trips within China surge after COVID curbs lifted
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to official data, the number of COVID deaths a showed weekly decline, however. China abandoned its strict "zero COVID" policy in early December after protests against the restrictions, allowing people to travel and the virus to spread rapidly throughout the country. An estimated 226 million domestic trips were made by all means including flights during the holiday week, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing government figures. This compares to around 130 million domestic trips during the holiday week last year, according to the transport ministry, but is still far below pre-pandemic levels: In the last Lunar New Year holiday before the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019, some 420 million trips were made. During the Lunar New Year holiday in 2019, 12.53 million cross-border trips were made, the Xinhua news agency reported.

☆ China domestic tourism picks up over Lunar New Year as COVID curbs end
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A total of 308 million tourism trips within China have been made during the current holiday period, up 23.1% from 2022's Lunar New Year break and marking a recovery to 88.6% of the number in 2019, data from the culture and tourism ministry showed on Friday. Revenue generated from domestic tourism during this year's holiday stands at 375.84 billion yuan ($55.41 billion), or 73.1% of that in 2019, according to the tourism ministry data. Authorities in early January ended a requirement that inbound travellers had to undergo hotel quarantine upon arrival, a policy that had crippled international travel. Despite the jump, international travel over the holiday period has yet to rebound to pre-COVID levels. During the Lunar New Year holiday in 2019, a total of 12.53 million cross-border trips were made, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

☆ Millions of Chinese workers on the move ahead of Friday travel peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A medical worker helps a patient receiving treatment at the emergency department of a hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China January 17, 2023. Travellers bustled through railway stations and subways in Beijing and Shanghai, many ferrying large wheeled suitcases and boxes stuffed with food and gifts. The infection rate in the southern city of Guangzhou, capital of China's most populous province, has now passed 85%, local health officials announced on Wednesday. Clinics in rural villages and towns are now being fitted with oxygenators, and medical vehicles have also been deployed to isolated areas. Doctors in both public and private hospitals were being actively discouraged from attributing deaths to COVID, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

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