英语新闻丨Visa-free policy to bring more foreign tourists

China decided last week to extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens of 12 countries, of which 11 are European nations, until the end of 2025. This extension underscores the prospects for China-Europe engagement in the years ahead and will bring a fresh wave of European tourists to China, analysts said.

中国上周决定将对12个国家(其中11个是欧洲国家)公民的短期免签证政策延长至2025年底。分析人士表示，这一延期突显了未来几年中欧合作的前景，并将为中国带来新一轮的欧洲游客。

China announced a visa-free policy for five European countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain — from Dec 1 of last year to Nov 30 this year, with people from these countries allowed to stay on the mainland for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family trips or transit without a visa.

中国宣布，从2023年12月1日至2024年11月30日，对法国、德国、意大利、荷兰和西班牙这五个欧洲国家实行免签政策，这些国家的人可以在中国大陆停留最多15天，用于商务、旅游、家庭旅行或过境。

The visa-free policy was then extended to six more European countries: Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg, from March 14 to Nov 30 to further boost inbound tourism.

随后，从3月14日至11月30日，免签政策又扩展到6个欧洲国家:瑞士、爱尔兰、匈牙利、奥地利、比利时和卢森堡，以进一步促进入境旅游。

During his visit to France, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China welcomes visits by more people from France, and will extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens from 12 countries, including France, up to the end of 2025.

习近平总书记在访问法国期间表示，中国欢迎更多的法国人来中国旅游，并将把对包括法国在内的12个国家公民的短期免签政策延长至2025年底。

"The recent extension of both the time limit and the list of countries brings a positive outlook for the long run. It alleviates concerns among European stakeholders regarding the policy's duration," said Peng Han, chief analyst for tourism media company Travel Daily.

旅游媒体公司《环球旅讯》首席分析师韩鹏表示：“最近时间限制和国家名单的延长带来了长期的积极前景。它缓解了欧洲利益相关者对该政策持续时间的担忧，” 

Travel Daily data show that the total number of inbound tourists from visa-exempt countries in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand increased more than twofold year-on-year during the Labor Day holiday. In contrast, inbound tourism from Europe as of this year stood at only 30 percent of 2019 figures.

《环球旅讯》数据显示，劳动节假期期间，来自新加坡、马来西亚、泰国等东南亚免签国家的入境游客总数同比增长两倍多。相比之下，截至今年，来自欧洲的入境游客仅占2019年数字的30%。

According to Peng, European operators typically formulate outbound tourism plans for the following year in June and July, and decisions on whether to engage with Chinese products hinge on whether they receive a clear answer in time.

韩鹏表示，欧洲运营商通常在6月和7月制定下一年的出境游计划，决定是否与中国产品合作取决于他们是否及时得到明确的答复。

"The industry has been keeping an eye on long-term China-Europe relations and the continuity of the visa policy," he said.

“业界一直在关注中欧长期关系和签证政策的连续性。”

He said now that China has given a clear answer on opening its door to Europe through successive policies, it signals to the world the promise of a prosperous future.

他说，现在中国已经通过一系列政策对向欧洲敞开大门给出了明确的答案，这向世界发出了一个繁荣未来的承诺。

Although there has not been a sharp increase in the number of European tour groups coming to China until now, the number of independent travelers indicates the upside of the visa-free policy.

尽管到目前为止，来中国的欧洲旅行团数量并没有大幅增加，但自由行游客的数量表明了免签证政策的好处。

Ctrip data said that on March 14 alone, when the visa-free rules took effect, the number of inbound tourism bookings from the six newly added countries more than doubled compared with last year. The number of travel bookings from Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland tripled.

携程数据显示，仅在3月14日免签政策生效当天，这六个新加入国家的入境旅游预订量就比去年增加了一倍多。来自比利时、匈牙利和瑞士的旅游预订量增加了两倍。

According to the National Immigration Administration, more than 170,000 international visitors entered China visa-free through Shanghai Pudong International Airport in the first quarter of this year, showing an increase of 23.6 percent year-on-year.

根据国家移民管理局的数据，今年第一季度，超过17万名国际游客通过上海浦东国际机场免签进入中国，同比增长23.6%。

Shanghai, one of the top destinations for European tourists, has prepared itself for a surge in inbound tourism.

作为欧洲游客的首选目的地之一，上海已经为入境旅游的激增做好了准备。

"The resumption of international flights, the visa-free policy, and the full recovery of business at Shanghai International Cruise Home Port will contribute to the number of inbound tourists arriving in Shanghai, especially free independent travelers," said Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Spring Tour, a travel company in Shanghai.

一家上海旅游公司春游的副总经理周卫红说：“国际航班的恢复、免签政策以及上海国际邮轮母港业务的全面恢复，将有助于增加到上海的入境游客数量，尤其是自由行游客。” 

David Huang, a French national who studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, and now works for a French chocolate company in Beijing, said he has applied for both student and work visas in the past.

曾就读于北京对外经济贸易大学的法国人戴维·黄目前在北京一家法国巧克力公司工作。他说，他过去申请过学生签证和工作签证。

"The student visa requires at least two months of preparations, including submitting various documents. I also spent more than two months preparing for my work visa after graduating from UIBE," he said.

“学生签证至少需要两个月的准备时间，包括提交各种文件。从对外经贸大学毕业后，我也花了两个多月的时间准备工作签证。”

Young French travelers avoid countries that have lengthy visa application procedures, he said, adding that being on a limited budget, buying an air ticket only to have a visa application rejected makes little financial sense for them.

他说，年轻的法国旅行者会避开签证申请程序冗长的国家，并补充说，由于预算有限，买机票却被签证申请拒绝，这对他们来说没有什么经济意义。

Business opportunities

"My colleagues in global companies find it much simpler to travel. …Two-week visa-free access allows people to explore business opportunities in China."

“我在跨国公司的同事们发现旅行要简单得多。……两周的免签证可以让人们在中国探索商机。”

Laura Carbonell, a sales manager in Toledo, which is about 75 kilometers from the Spanish capital Madrid, said she visited China in November before the visa-free policy was introduced. Even the location of an embassy or consulate from a visa applicant's home can influence the travel decisions, she said.

距离西班牙首都马德里约75公里的托莱多的销售经理劳拉·卡博内尔说，她去年11月在免签政策出台之前去过中国。她说，就连大使馆或领事馆离签证申请人家的距离也会影响他们的旅行决定。

For European countries not on the visa-free list, the application procedures have been streamlined. China has been simplifying its visa procedures worldwide, including canceling appointment requirements and fingerprints for qualified applicants temporarily. Visa fees for travel to China before December for people of all countries have also been cut by 25 percent, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

对于不在免签名单上的欧洲国家，申请程序已经简化。中国一直在简化其在全球的签证程序，包括暂时取消预约要求和对符合条件的申请人的指纹。根据外交部的消息，所有国家公民在12月之前前往中国的签证费也将降低25%。

The Chinese embassy in Washington announced the simplification of the tourist visa application process for United States citizens starting from Jan 1 this year. US tourists can now enter China without providing round trip air tickets, hotel reservations, itineraries or an invitation letter.

中国驻华盛顿大使馆宣布，从2024年1月1日起，将简化美国公民的旅游签证申请程序。现在，美国游客进入中国无需提供往返机票、酒店预订、行程或邀请函。

"The future looks promising," Peng of Travel Daily said. "The revival of inbound tourism to its previous peak may simply be a matter of time."

韩鹏表示：“未来看起来很有希望，入境旅游恢复到之前的峰值可能只是时间问题。”

While China is sending clear signals of openness, political factors in the West are casting a shadow over cross-border travel. In March, the US said it is "taking steps to impose new visa restrictions on multiple Hong Kong officials", without elaborating on the visa measures or the officials targeted.

虽然中国发出了明确的开放信号，但西方的政治因素正在给跨境旅行蒙上阴影。今年3月，美国表示正“采取措施，对多名香港官员实施新的签证限制”，但没有详细说明签证措施或针对的官员。

 cross-border

（公司）跨国的；（贸易）越过两边国界的

visa-free

免签证