The proposal offers a 72-hour visa-free stay in Beijing for foreigners of approved countries.To further implement the important procedures that were proposed by the State Council on accelerating the development of the tourism industry, Beijing’s Municipal government has prepared an application process for foreigners and has since put forth special procedures for the process to begin.
The application, which was approved by the State Council on April 28th of 2012, indicates that starting January 1st, 2013, foreigners from 45 countries who hold a third country visa and airplane tickets will enjoy a visa-free stay of up to 72 hours while in transit. The process will be referred to as “the 72-hour, visa-free stay.”
The aim of the proposal is to cultivate tourism into a strategic pillar industry and to promote Beijing, China as an international city. Allowing foreigners to stay in Beijing for 72 hours, without the requirement of a visa, will not only promote the flow of inbound tourism, but will also speed up China’s path to becoming one of the top tourist destinations in the world. This in turn, is expected to bring more jobs and better opportunities into the city.
The initative shows a brighter side of the city amid accusations of being closed to the outside world. Moreover, the initiative is expected to deeply expand the foreign trade industry, create harmonious ties with other countries and build more cooperative relationships that generate bilateral agreements on education, economics and ultimately on foreign policy. A number of nations have already implemeted visa policies that have increased the flow of tourism into their respective cities.
As the number of inbound tourists is the core indicator of measuring whether a city has become a major international attraction, it is estimated that after the implementation of the “72-hour visa-free stay” policy, the number of transit passengers at the Beijing Capital International Airport will reach 1.28 million in 2015, and the number of passengers who transit and enter into Beijing will reach an estimated 640,000 people.
This influx of people entering into Beijing as passengers will gradually increase in most metropolitan areas the city. After the policy is implemented the city government will establish a system that supports the new program. There will be a special mechanism in place at all airports and immigration centers for visa-free stay passengers.
In addition, the government will further enrich the tourism industry for foreigners, expand shopping channels for transit tourists, vigorously promote the development of night markets, upgrade the airport transfer convenience center and implement safety management measures for tourists.
The implementation of the 72-hour visa-free stay policy will effectively promote other related industries as well, such as transportation, catering, shopping, accommodation, leisure, conferences, exhibitions, business, aviation and others.
It will also in a positive way to stimulate economic growth, expand communication and cooperation with the outside world, improve the city’s services and the overall quality of life in Beijing. "We are hoping to construct a harmonious society and accelerate the construction of the world’s tourism industry," said one authority of the City's Municipal Government whose name was not mentioned.
The Following is a List of countries that have been approved for the 72-hour Visa-Free Stay in Beijing.
The 45 Countries Include:
Austria,
Belgium,
The Czech Republic,
Denmark,
Estonia,
Finland,
France,
Germany,
Greece,
Hungary,
Iceland,
Italy,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,
Malta,
Netherlands,
Poland,
Portugal,
The Slovak Republic,
The Republic of Slovenia,
Spain,
Sweden,
Switzerland,
Russia,
The United Kingdom
Northern Ireland,
Ireland,
The Republic of Cyprus,
The Republic of Bulgaria,
Romania,
Ukraine,
The United States,
Canada, Brazil,
Mexico,
Argentina,
Chile,
Australia,
New Zealand,
Republic of Korea,
Japan,
Singapore,
Brunei,
Qatar,
The United Arab Emirates
