China - January 10, 2025 Shanghai welcomes 2025's first international cruise ship arrival (Voice_over) Passengers from countries including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia arrived at the Shanghai North Bund on Wednesday afternoon and began on a two-day visit to explore the city. They were passengers aboard the Silver Dawn Cruise, the first cruise ship to visit Shanghai this year. (Sound_bite) Foreign tourist: "It's my first time in Shanghai. When I went to Beijing, I had to get visa myself. But I didn't need one this time." (Voice_over) The visa free policy is playing a key role in attracting global tourists. (Sound_bite) Ma Yingjie, Deputy Director of Pujiang Immigration Inspection Station, Shanghai: "Over 95 percent passengers on this cruise are eligible for various visa free policies, including the 15-day visa free policy, unilateral exemptions and the 240-hour transit visa free policy, leaving only about ten passengers needing a traditional visa." (Sound_bite) Tang Ming, Chairman, Coastline Tours: "Now China has applied the 15-day visa free policy for all port cities and some inland cities, which is good news for the cruise tourism industry. We're planning a trip to Europe to promote more cruise lines to China. We expect a 20 to 30 percent increase of inbound cruise tourists this year." (Voice_over) A display of local cultural heritages was part of the welcome ceremony. The local government also launched a one-stop service station for inbound tourists to provide them with comprehensive and high-quality services. (Sound_bite) Tong Ke, Director of Culture and Tourism Dept, Shanghai Hongkou District: "The integration of culture and tourism will help inbound tourists understand traditional Chinese culture. We aim to provide a better experience for tourists as the 'window of China'." (Voice_over) Last year, Shanghai reported nearly 1.7 million inbound visa free entries, almost 5 times the number in 2023. Shanghai is becoming the top destination for many making their first stop in China. [Restriction: No access Chinese mainland]