China Expands Visa-Free Travel Policy to Boost Tourism Recovery

New measures extend visa-free transit stays to 10 days and additional cities, but geopolitical tensions and political concerns hinder Western tourism revival.

• China has increased the duration of its visa-free transit policy from 6 to 10 days and expanded its coverage to more cities across 24 provinces.
• The updated policy applies to travelers from 54 countries, including the U.S., but remains limited to transit travelers heading to other destinations.
• Despite these efforts, China's tourism industry struggles to recover to pre-pandemic levels, with Western tourists hesitant due to political concerns and strained U.S.-China relations.
• High-profile crackdowns on dissent, restrictions on free speech, and arrests of foreign nationals contribute to a perception of China as unwelcoming and unsafe for Western visitors.
• The decline in U.S. tourism and student exchanges with China risks deepening cultural and geopolitical divides, with further challenges anticipated as U.S.-China tensions escalate under the incoming U.S. administration.

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