Sichuan Implements 240-Hour Transit Visa-Free Policy to Boost Cultural Tourism — 377 Foreigner Group Tourist Visas Issued for 5,589 People Since the Start of This Year

Recently, the reporter learned from the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of the Public Security Department of Sichuan Province that since April this year, 106,900 foreign nationals have entered China through Chengdu Aviation Port, a year-on-year increase of 72.14%. The total number of foreign nationals visiting Sichuan ranks among the top in the country and first in western China. Sichuan is becoming a popular destination for foreign tourists to enjoy China's beautiful scenery and experience its rich culture.

China has implemented unilateral and reciprocal visa-free policies for multiple countries, further optimizing the 240-hour transit visa-free policy to facilitate smooth entry for foreign travelers. Sichuan has continuously streamlined the procedures for foreigner group tourist visas. For urgent applications due to special circumstances, an emergency response mechanism has been put in place, providing a 24-hour "green channel" for expedited visa processing. Since the beginning of this year, 377 group tourist visas have been issued for 5,589 foreign nationals, with an average stay of 5.13 days in Sichuan, generating over 100 million yuan in tourism revenue.

"Based on previous years' data, as the weather warms up, the number of inbound tourists will see a significant increase," said a relevant official from the Exit and Entry Administration Corps of the Public Security Department of Sichuan Province. Currently, the number of tourists from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Russia, Australia and other countries continues to grow.

To enhance the inbound travel experience, Sichuan's public security exit and entry administration departments have launched "Overseas Tourist Service Counters" at 11 windows in Chengdu, providing multilingual consultation. Foreigner service stations have been set up at popular scenic spots such as Jiuzhaigou, Sanxingdui, and Mount Emei to assist foreign tourists with accommodation registration and other matters. The "12367" service hotline is available 24/7, offering multilingual voice consultation services. Multilingual electronic service guides have also been launched, covering entry reminders, visa policies, transportation, and travel information. "Visa procedures are now simplified, entry clearance is very fast, and visiting Sichuan has become much more convenient!" said a French tourist at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport on April 30.

In addition, in response to inbound travel peaks during holidays, the public security exit and entry administration departments have coordinated with border inspection, cultural tourism, commerce, transportation and other authorities to provide multilingual transportation guidance, currency exchange, and recommended tour routes. Popular attractions such as Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley and Sanxingdui Museum have introduced full coverage of "foreign card POS machines" and multilingual audio guides to eliminate payment and language barriers for foreign tourists. "From getting off the plane to checking into the hotel, the entire process went smoothly," said Amin, a tourist from Malaysia.

An official from the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of the Public Security Department of Sichuan Province stated that in the next step, they will explore expanding the scope of application of the 240-hour transit visa-free policy, strengthen cooperation with relevant government departments, and provide more convenience services so that more foreign tourists can "want to come, come easily, and enjoy their travels" in Sichuan.

Chinese Source：www.mps.gov.cn