Visa-free entry as China bids for cruise market

China will allow visa-free entry for foreign tour groups that visit via cruise ship in a further bid to attract international visitors and boost its sluggish inbound travel market.

Overseas tour groups on cruises will be able to enter and stay in China without a visa for up to 15 days, according to the National Immigration Administration.

Tour groups can enter China from 13 ports including Shanghai, Qingdao, Dalian and Haikou. Qualifying groups must be received and handled by domestic travel agencies. They will be allowed to travel to coastal provinces as well as the capital, Beijing, while they are in China.

"The visa-free entry policy will provide support for the development of the cruise industry," said senior immigration official Mao Xu. "It will help attract more foreign tourists to China and provide more convenient channels for people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries."

China has some 21 international cruise ships that ply the country's ports en route to other destinations like Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, said Zhu Zhenyu, a senior Ministry of Transport official. A total of 107,000 trips were made via cruise ships in China in 2023.

The Hong Kong government welcomed the new policy.

"As Asia's cruise hub, Hong Kong attracts visitors from around the world to come for cruise travel. They stay in Hong Kong before or after their voyages to experience our tourism offerings and bring economic benefits to the city," said a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau spokesman. "The new NIA policy will incentivize international cruise lines to develop more itineraries involving mainland ports and Hong Kong, leveraging our role as a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism and promoting the development of Hong Kong's cruise industry."

The push comes on the heels of a slew of policy measures that China has adopted since late last year to try and attract more international visitors. They include visa-free entry for travelers from some European and Asian countries, including Singapore. The country's first domestically-made cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, also debuted in January, offering local tourists more options to travel abroad in a still-familiar environment.

But China could find it difficult to lure overseas visitors amid a weakening economy and muted demand for travel.

Australian airline Qantas recently suspended flights between Sydney and Shanghai, instead adding routes to Singapore and Bengaluru in India. The carrier cited low demand for travel between Australia and China as the reason for the change.