Domestic airlines expand overseas services as China extends visa-free transit stays

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By Tu Lei (Global Times) 10:26, December 24, 2024

Chinese experts attributed the rising number of flights and routes to the soaring demand, as Chinese government is taking concrete measures to attract foreign travelers.

The latest flight expansion comes as China announced on December 17 a significant relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Effective immediately, 21 additional ports have been designated for visa-free entry and exit, and the areas in which transit travelers can travel have expanded, according to a statement from the National Immigration Administration.

China recorded nearly 29.22 million inbound foreign visits between January and November 2024, up 86.2 percent year-on-year. Of these, 17.45 million entered the country visa-free, marking a significant 123.3 percent year-on-year growth.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)