Shandong sees surge in South Korean tourists thanks to visa-free policies

The coastal Province of Shandong in east China has welcome a notable influx of South Korean visitors during the five-day May Day holiday, with streamlined visa-free policies and geographic proximity driving the tourism boom.

On Sunday, a group of over 620 South Korean travelers arrived in Shandong's Yantai City, over 300 of whom were about to embark on their first journey in China.

With visa-free entry to China, they planned for a four-day tour.

"I plan to visit Yantai's major attractions and explore its coastline. I've heard Yantai's seaside is exceptionally beautiful, and this season seems perfect for travel. The visa-free policy makes visiting incredibly convenient now," said a South Korean tourist.

To accommodate increased holiday traffic, Yantai has implemented enhanced border clearance measures by activating all inspection channels and deploying smart clearance systems.

The upgraded facilities provide comprehensive guidance services to ensure smooth and convenient processing for both inbound and outbound travelers.

In the first four months of this year, the province's ports recorded over 1.65 million cross-border trips, with more than 120,000 South Korean tourists entering China under the visa-free policy during this period, according to the Shandong Exit and Entry Border Inspection.

Huangfu Jinshan, manager of the Customer Department under Yantai China South Korea Ferry Co., Ltd, said they are stepping up efforts to attract more foreign tourists to travel to China.

"Our company attaches great importance to the South Korean tourism market and is actively developing cooperation resources with South Korean travel agencies to attract South Korean group tours to Yantai. At the same time, we are committed to providing excellent reception services for South Korean groups. We will strengthen our collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization and local reception travel agencies in South Korea to jointly develop high-end premium tourism routes, creating a green, digital, and light-luxury cross-border ferry journey that integrates Chinese and Korean cultures and maritime travel. This will attract more domestic and international tourists to take our ferries for travel to China," she said.

Shandong sees surge in South Korean tourists thanks to visa-free policies

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation