The National Immigration Administration announced on the 15th that it has decided to fully implement a visa free policy for foreign tourist groups entering China's coastal provinces by cruise ship. Starting from today, foreign tourist groups (2 or more people) who take a cruise ship and are received by domestic travel agencies can enter the country as a whole without visa from cruise ports in 13 cities such as Tianjin and Shanghai. The tourist group must accompany the same cruise ship to the next port until the cruise ship exits the country, and stay in China for no more than 15 days. The activity scope is coastal provinces and Beijing. At the same time, in order to support the development of cruise tourism, it has been decided to add 7 cruise ports in Dalian, Lianyungang and other places as applicable ports for China's transit visa free policy, facilitating foreign passengers who meet the conditions for China's transit visa free policy to take cruise ships for transit. The spillover effect of the cruise industry is obvious, with the transportation volume of domestic and foreign passengers by cruise ships in China reaching over 107000 people last year. Mao Xu, Director of the Foreigners Management Department of the National Immigration Administration, stated that the comprehensive implementation of the visa free policy for foreign tourist groups entering the country by cruise is mainly aimed at promoting the development of China's cruise economy and cruise industry, promoting exchanges and exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel, enriching the forms of inbound tourism, and enhancing new economic momentum. In October 2016, China piloted the visa free policy for cruise tourism groups entering Shanghai. Since the policy was implemented, the average annual growth rate of Shanghai's reception of cruise passengers has been 10%. Compared with the pilot policy in Shanghai, this visa free policy will expand the port of entry for cruise ships from Shanghai to all coastal cruise ports; Expand the scope of tourism group activities from coastal provinces and cities where cruise ports are located and surrounding cities, as well as Beijing, to national coastal provinces and Beijing. Mao Xu stated that this move is conducive to promoting the intensive development of cruise economy in coastal provinces and facilitating foreign tourism to China. Li Tao, Deputy Director of the Border Inspection and Management Department of the National Immigration Administration, introduced that in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the visa free policy for cruise ships, the National Immigration Administration has studied and formulated 7 supporting measures, including promoting the overseas inspection mode for large cruise ships visiting ports, simplifying the entry and exit inspection procedures for international cruise ship crew, and so on. It is worth noting that currently, all coastal provinces in China have implemented a visa free transit policy, with aviation ports being the main applicable ports. Seven new cruise ports have been added as applicable ports. "Foreign tourists, in addition to being eligible for cruise visa free policies with the group, are eligible to enter China by cruise ship for visa free countries and countries that offer mutual exemption with ordinary passports." Mao Xu said. In response to payment difficulties faced by foreign tourists visiting China, Shi Zeyi, Deputy Director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, stated that he will continue to optimize visa and customs policies, accelerate the recovery of international transportation such as flights, improve comprehensive services for inbound tourism, enhance the level of open management of cultural and tourism venues, and improve the shopping environment for inbound tourism. "It is expected that the passenger transportation volume of China's cruise ships will steadily recover and continue to increase in 2024." Zhu Zhenyu, Deputy Director of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, mentioned that there are currently 21 international cruise ships operating in ports within China, and the first domestically produced large cruise ship, "Aida Modu", was also put into operation on New Year's Day this year. "We will urge cruise port enterprises to further improve relevant measures, enhance service capabilities, and actively promote the development of China's cruise economy."
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