Chongqing launches 72-hour visa-free stays

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Chongqing will allow transit passengers 72-hour visa-free stays starting next month, in a move aimed at boosting the local economy and tourism.

The new policy will apply to visitors from 45 countries, the municipal government announced on Wednesday, and follows similar decisions taken by Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

Ai Yang, deputy secretary-general of the Chongqing government, said, "The policy will increase cooperation between Chongqing and foreign countries, boosting tourism, commerce and cultural exchanges."

Jean Bruno, a Frenchman who has worked in the legal sector in Chongqing for three years, said the decision will boost cultural and performance exchanges between Chongqing and overseas countries.

"It will benefit artists and troupes the most, making it much easier to stage touring shows in Chongqing," Bruno said, adding that it will also help some of his friends who are interested in touring Asia.

But he said the policy needs more promotion among foreigners. "It is worth making more people aware of this visitor-friendly policy," he added.

Visitors eligible for visa-free stays must have air tickets to a third country with confirmed dates and seats, and visas where required.

A service center for transit passengers will open at Chongqing airport.

"The airport will provide services including currency exchange and travel advice at the international terminal," said Pei Mingxue, the airport's deputy manager.

In 2017, 22 million passengers used Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, ranking it the ninth-busiest nationwide.

More than 1 million passengers entered or left China from January to September at the airport, and the total for the year is estimated to reach 1.3 million.

Pei also said a third terminal is being built at the airport and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Twenty-one international airlines operate from the airport, and a non-stop flight from Chongqing to Sydney is due to be launched at the end of the year. Non-stop flights to the 45 countries covered by the new policy, including Russia, Germany and Italy, are being planned.

Zhang Xiang, a senior official at the Chongqing Tourism Administration, said that from January to September, the city received nearly 52 million overnight visitors, with 1.7 million coming from overseas.

The majority of foreign visitors came from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Zhang said.

Chongqing has a population of 30 million, and the downtown area is surrounded by hills and has two rivers.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.