Zhangjiajie, a picturesque tourist spot in Hunan Province in central China, is seeing tourism boom as the implementation of new rules and procedures, such as optimized visa-free policies, convenient access to currency exchange and more language signs at places, making traveling to China easier for foreign tourists.
In a statement from National Immigration Administration released on Dec 17, China has announced 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.
Effective immediately, 21 additional ports, including Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport, have been designated for visa-free entry and exit, and the areas in which transit travelers can stay have been expanded, according to the statement.
According to the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, Zhangjiajie's airport recorded 556,000 entries and exits this year, marking a 154 percent increase over last year as of Sunday.
With the rise in international tourist arrivals, Zhangjiajie has implemented a slate of measures to enhance its appeal to global visitors. Multilingual signs in Chinese, English, and Korean now cover all 37 graded scenic areas in the city.
Additionally, over 1,088 foreign-language tour guide certificates have been issued.
A Zhangjiajie tourism exchange map was also launched and payment with international credit cards is now available at 3,240 key businesses, including homestays, hotels, and supermarkets, offering various options for foreign tourists.
"China's very beautiful place, as you can see up here. It's really amazing. The food is really good. I think you should come and visit. And it's particularly good with my tour group over here, because it's very difficult to get around if you don't know the language. And he'll sort you out," said Atiyu, tourist from Dubai.
"We use WeChat. It's so convenient. And yes I do believe that more foreigners will come to China with the visa freedom," said Julia, tourist from Germany.
As a result of the favorable policy, Zhangjiajie's sources of inbound tourists have expanded to 187 countries and regions this year.
"In the past, travelers to Zhangjiajie needed to apply for visas one or two months in advance, which was quite inconvenient. Now, it's much simpler. With just a passport and a plane ticket, tourists can fly directly to Zhangjiajie. Over the past two months, this policy has significantly boosted our visitor numbers," said Zhang Wei, general manager of a international travel agency.
Relaxed transit policy brings inbound travel boom to Zhangjiajie
