China is set to relax visa requirements for U.S. travelers in a bid to boost tourism. In an effort to enhance people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, the simplified application process, effective from January 1, will eliminate the need for American tourists to provide round-trip air tickets, proof of hotel reservations, itineraries, or invitations to China, as announced in an online notice by the Chinese Embassy in Washington on Friday.
This initiative comes as China grapples with the task of revitalizing its tourism sector, which has faced challenges over the past three years due to stringent pandemic measures, including mandatory quarantines for all arrivals. Although these restrictions were lifted earlier in the year, the return of international travelers has been gradual. In the first half of the current year, China registered 8.4 million entries and exits by foreigners, a significant decline from the 977 million recorded for the entire year of 2019, which was the last year before the onset of the pandemic, according to immigration statistics.
China visa relaxation, US tourists China, Boosting tourism, Simplified visa process, China-US people exchanges