China is to resume issuing visas to foreign tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic broke out three years ago. The major easing of restrictions comes after Beijing declared victory over the virus and retreated from a zero-Covid strategy that has hurt its economy.
Valid visas issued before China closed to the world on 28 March 2020 will be honoured starting on 15 March. Visa-free entry will resume in Hainan Island and Shanghai for cruise ships.
Tour groups from Hong Kong and Macau will be allowed visa-free entry while Chinese consular offices abroad will also resume processing visa applications.
The removal of the last cross-border restrictions imposed to tackle Covid marks a major step towards the resumption of normal life in post-pandemic China.
Tens of millions of international visitors came to China each year before the pandemic, and its tourism industry has been hard hit by strict anti-Covid measures. But the country can expect a significant increase in international arrivals after it reopens its borders, analysts say.
Chinese citizens will also be allowed to travel on tour groups to 60 countries, up from 20 previously. China said its gross domestic product grew just 3% in 2022, the worst in nearly half a century.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
