STORY: Foreign tourists share experiences with China's visa-free transit policy
SHOOTING TIME: File & Recent footage
DATELINE: Dec. 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:37
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China's tourist attractions and tourists
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TARE MAKARAND, Australian traveler
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EBERT LEANDRA, German traveler
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): OBRIEN JOHN PATRICK, Australian traveler  
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): BENJAMIN MICHAEL, American traveler   

STORYLINE:

China has introduced a variety of measures to welcome international visitors, including its 72/144-hour-visa-free transit policy.

The visa-free transit policy has been applauded by foreign tourists, expats in the country, and travel-industry insiders.

On Dec. 17, China announced a significant relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the initial 72 hours and subsequent 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days.

Under the updated policy, eligible citizens from 54 countries 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, autonomous regions and municipalities, and stay within the designated areas for up to 240 hours.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): TARE MAKARAND, Australian traveler
"We'll go around some beautiful mountains and see the local culture, food. I love China. I've been visiting (China) for many years."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EBERT LEANDRA, German traveler
"I really love traveling in China. It's my first time to be here, and I feel like all the people are so generous, so kind and so helpful. Even though I don't speak Chinese, everybody was trying to help me out when I couldn't find my way, or (when) I tried to order food or something like that. I really love the food as well. So China has been great."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): OBRIEN JOHN PATRICK, Australian traveler
"I can just come and go where I like when I can leave Australia, come and see my granddaughter anytime I like, instead of going and applying for a visa all the time."
SOUNDBITE 4 (English): BENJAMIN MICHAEL, American traveler
"I love traveling. I have friends in Chiang Mai, Thailand and I figured it was boring to fly to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I could fly to Kunming and take the train to Laos and then go to Thailand from there. I get to experience Kunming and China, which is exotic, I guess, for Americans.
I want to meet the people and try the food and see the culture."

International arrivals have surged with the support of the measures. 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.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)