China’s relaxed entry rules bring more travel, but would-be tourists wary of remaining barriers

During the Lunar New Year holiday week in February, China recorded 3.23 million tourism receipts, almost the same as the festival period in 2019, the official Xinhua news agency reported in February.

The number of tourists from those countries – now 11 in Europe and three in Southeast Asia – “has increased significantly,” Xinhua said, citing figures that said their lunar year arrivals were double those of the same period in 2019.

A country recently granted visa-free travel privileges is France, and for the 20,000 French nationals living in Hong Kong, mainland China has never been more attractive.

“It’s easy to just go for a day or a weekend,” said Marc Guyon, one of those who make use of the new policy.

“Previously, it was better to go on vacation to Thailand, the Philippines or Taiwan rather than [mainland] China. Now the situation is different.”

Xinhua said last month that tourism would “accelerate recovery and development” in China, which needs sources of growth as it tries to reverse unemployment trends, manage a housing crisis and shake up domestic consumption. .

The country is also quickly returning to a pre-pandemic level of connectivity. Direct flights linking China to other countries were 4,782 a week in December, down from less than 500 at the beginning of last year, the nation’s civil aviation authority said.

Reciprocal visa-free policies between China and other nations have led to an increase in international flights, and airline competition has sparked a “rationalization of airfares,” Chinese travel platform Fliggy he said in an email.

“The end of 2023 has seen growing interest in China as a tourist destination among Europeans, especially from countries benefiting from relaxed visa rules,” said Zoey Wang, director of global infrastructure assessment. with Fitch Ratings.

Beijing has “cut some of the red tape” for US visa applicants, “but it’s not enough to offset the prevailing negative attitudes” about China, said Douglas Barry, a Washington-based consultant who tracks trade. US-China. Tens of millions of Americans travel abroad each year.

A US government advisory, issued in June and still in effect, urges Americans to “reconsider travel to mainland China.” It cited “the arbitrary application of local laws,” including those related to exit bans, and the “risk of wrongful arrests.”

Changing the attitudes of American travelers, Barry said, “will require a more concerted effort on the part of both countries” after years of close relations.

“Negative opinion polls about China and a slowdown in business travel have made it difficult for airlines to fill seats,” he said.

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Millions of people flock to China’s top tourist attractions to celebrate National Day

Millions of people flock to China’s top tourist attractions to celebrate National Day

“The payment problems, the visa problems, these are long-standing problems,” said James Chin, professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania.

“I don’t think tourism will change until [those barriers] fully open. »

China’s two dominant platforms, Alipay and WeChat Pay, have taken steps to make it easier for foreign travelers to pay for goods and services. Alipay raised the single transaction limit to US$5,000, five times the previous maximum.

Guilin-based online travel agency China Highlights found in a survey that 68 percent of inbound travelers can “successfully” use a Chinese mobile payment service. Of those who failed, the survey said, half reported rejection from a foreign bank or credit card.

Chetwynd, from the University of San Francisco, traveled with seven peers for an academic conference in Ningbo and company visits in Shanghai.

Everyone has struggled to get their mobile payments to work through American banks, said group leader and university executive in residence Ker Gibbs.

“These were smart kids who knew how to figure things out, but they still had a hard time breaking into China’s digital economy,” Gibbs said.

“For my students [here] Last summer, it wasn’t easy to book a rideshare car or pay for a cup of coffee.

Foreigners visiting on behalf of a multinational usually ask China-based assistants to help process payments, he noted.

The China Hospitality Association trade group has urged accommodation operators across the country to “raise their levels of internationalization” by making foreign bank card payments more convenient and ” improving the management of cross-border booking channels,” the Daily Workers’ reported last week.

Airports in Beijing and Shanghai are selling phone cards that allow electronic payments, but they are taking “a long time” to install, said Steven Zhao, CEO of China Highlights. Some overseas travelers procure eSIM cards before their trips, he added.

Some travelers can’t access the likes of Gmail, Facebook or Instagram, which are popular offshore but banned in China – another obstacle for potential visitors.

“This has always been a big source of trouble,” Zhao said. “However, VPNs are very mature,” he said, referring to virtual private networks. “Many visitors think they should buy a VPN suite online before coming to China.”

Chetwynd bought a short-term international service package from his American mobile provider, creating a personal hotspot for places where Chinese Wi-Fi does not allow VPN use.

“Even as tourists return to China, when those travelers arrive on land, they will be faced with a number of different challenges that weigh on their experience,” said Nick Marro, lead analyst for global trade with The Economist. Intelligence. Unity.

“This does not mean that these challenges are insurmountable, but it means that there are layers that you need to think about when entering the Chinese market.”

Chinese travelers put Covid on the back burner as tourism revenue defies forecasts

Even with all the hassles, Chetwynd found his first trip to China worthwhile. He presented research on climate change at the conference, and saw a slice of Shanghai’s nightlife. “It was an amazing time for me,” he said.

Adrien Grosclaude of France echoed those sentiments, saying he would fly to China despite the obstacles he faced during his trips in December and January.

The 22-year-old university student tried to buy a jacket in a store in Shenzhen, but could not activate any mobile payment app.

He went to a VIP service desk on the top floor of the mall for help – and was told to use cash. This requires going to an external ATM, extending the payment process to about an hour.

Because of “the stress” involved in running out to get money, he said, he left his bank card behind – but branch staff put it aside and returned it to him later.

After that experience, his Chinese colleagues, whom he had met during an exchange semester at the University of Hong Kong, lent him their mobile payment apps during his travels.

Grosclaude came with a prepaid VPN, but it failed for the first two days of his December trip around the Pearl River Delta. Before leaving, he had asked his parents and friends to download WeChat so he could contact them while on Chinese networks.

Religious monuments, such as a Buddhist statue in Foshan, leave him a “good first impression” of the country’s culture. He maintained that he will return despite the problems he encountered.

“[The issues] It wouldn’t really deter me, but if I was traveling alone, it would be more complicated,” Grosclaude said. “I want them to ease the rules for foreigners.”