Overseas visitors can now spend up to 144 hours, or six days, in Hainan province without a visa – so long as they are on a package tour registered in Macao or Hong Kong, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced today.
The new initiative enables foreigners holding a regular passport from any country with diplomatic relations with mainland China to visit the tropical island, courtesy of a legally registered travel agency based in Macao and Hong Kong.
Eligible travellers can enter and exit through any of Hainan’s public ports of entry with their tour group, which must have a minimum of two people.
[See more: Foreign cruise tour groups can now enter China’s coastal provinces visa-free]
“The scope of the [tourist] activities shall remain within the boundaries of the administrative area of Hainan province and the length of stay will be calculated from 0:00 on the day after arrival,” the NIA said in its statement.
Dubbed the Hawaii of China, Hainan province is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations thanks to its beautiful beaches, fresh seafood and unique local culture.
Opening Hainan up to international travellers on Macao and Hong Kong-organised package tours is part of a suite of policies Chinese authorities are implementing to encourage more foreigners to visit the country. The hope is that they will help shore up its struggling economy.
Earlier in May, the NIA declared that overseas travellers arriving via cruise ships can visit the country visa-free as part of a tour group. Similar initiatives have included unveiling unilateral visa-free travel for citizens of various European and Southeast Asian countries.
