China will offer greater visa-free access for foreigners to its southernmost province of Hainan, in its latest move to support the construction of the Hainan pilot free trade zone (FTZ) and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.
“Under the new policy, foreigners are allowed to enter Hainan visa-free for a wider range of purposes, including business, visit, visiting relatives, medical treatment, exhibition and sports,” Qu Yunhai, deputy head of the National Immigration Administration said.
Apart from the visa-free policy, China will also facilitate foreigners to work in Hainan and provide more convenience for inbound tourists on cruises and yachts, as well as foreign patients and their families.
Group and individual tourists from 59 countries, including Russia, Britain, France, Germany and the US have been given visa-free access to Hainan on condition that they would book their tours through travel agencies since 1 May, 2018. As of 30 June this year, 447,000 foreign tourists visited Hainan visa-free, up 18.8% year compared to last year. The province raked in USD 767 million in foreign exchange earnings from tourism last year, up 12.7%.
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