December 26th (AMSP/CGTN) – – Foreign tourists have increased significantly in Zhangjiajie, a picturesque tourist attraction in central China’s Hunan Province, in the past week since the country further expanded its visa-free transit policy.
The National Immigration Administration announced on December 17 to extend the visa-free transit for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days.
In addition, 21 more ports, including the Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport, were designated for visa-free entry and exit, and the areas in which transit travelers can stay were expanded.
Under the updated policy, eligible passport-holders from 54 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Britain, the United States and Canada, can enter China visa free when transiting to a third country or region.
These travelers may now enter through any of the 60 ports across 24 provinces, regions and municipalities and stay within the designated areas for up to 240 hours.
As of Sunday, the Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport had handled 3,681 inbound flights this year, up 1.56 times year on year.
The city’s major sources of foreign tourists are Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.
“Zhangjiajie has world cultural heritages. Now, with new entry policies, it has become very easy to come here and see the natural scenery. I hope to visit more often in the future,” said Son Suk-yeong, a South Korean tourist.
“I have seen (Zhangjiajie’s views) on TV before and have longed for coming here,” said Yoon Kwang- yeol, another South Korean tourist.
Except for airports and scenic areas, local travel agencies have also been busy, as inquiries and orders surge.
“In the past week, the South Korea division of our travel agency have seen a 10-percent increase in the number of orders for January and February 2025. Particularly, the snow viewing tourism products during the Spring Festival holiday have been very popular,” said Su Chao, deputy general manager of the Zhangjiajie Sky International Travel Agency.
For the convenience of foreign tourists in urban areas, the municipal transport department has launched urban sightseeing bus routes directly linked to scenic spots in collaboration with other tourism-related departments.
In the meantime, the financial department of the city has rolled out a variety of convenient payment policies, allowing foreigners to make micropayments by scanning QR codes and make large-amount payments with cards.
“As long as we have cellphones in our hands, we can use Alipay to shop and buy tickets for buses and scenic areas. They are all very convenient,” said a Cambodian tourist.
amsp/cgtn-abp
CGTN