Central China's Hubei Province is witnessing a significant surge in international tourism following the nation's expansion of transit visa-free policy on Dec 17.
The new policy extends the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the previous 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days, and has added 21 new ports of entry for visa-free travelers. Hubei Province, along with the provinces of Fujian and Shaanxi, has also expanded its permissible travel areas for transit visitors to the entire province.
At Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, authorities made swift adjustments to streamline the travel experience for foreign visitors. The Wuhan border inspection station has introduced measures such as foreign-language assistance, including English and Korean, and designated special lanes for foreign travelers to ensure fast-track border processing for arriving passengers.
The policy's extension now allows foreign travelers to explore beyond Wuhan City to other parts of Hubei, creating demand for better intercity transportation options. To address this, Wuhan's aviation and rail sectors are optimizing air-rail connectivity, making it easier for international visitors to travel to other cities in Hubei.
"We help foreign travelers complete one-stop ticketing for their air-rail journeys, assist them with purchasing or changing tickets on the 12306 app, and provide flight and railway train information inquiry, foreign currency exchange and other services," said Guo Yaqi, a duty officer at the 12306 air-rail connectivity service center.
For many travelers, these changes are helpful and attractive.
"It could be very useful if you ever wanted to spend time learning about new cultures, learning about what it's like to live in China for a few days, just like go out, eat some Chinese food. It's just a fun little thing to do. This is an extra thing. If you're trying to go to other countries, you may as well come to China for a few days,” said Luke Paul, a tourist from the United States. The impact of these efforts is already evident. According to data, the Wuhan border inspection station processed over 184,000 foreign travelers at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport this year, a 229 percent increase compared with last year. Among them, more than 43,000 travelers entered under visa-free policy, nearly four times the figure from the same period in the previous year.
China's extended transit visa-free policy spurs tourism growth in Hubei Province
