China will offer greater visa-free access to tourists from 59 countries arriving in Hainan province starting May 1 in a move to support the island's reform and opening-up, the State Immigration Administration announced last Wednesday.
国家移民管理局上周三宣布,为支持海南全面深化改革开放,自5月1日起,我国将在海南省为59个国家的游客提供更多的入境免签服务。
Under the new policy, group and individual tourists from 59 countries can visit Hainan visa-free and stay there for up to 30 days, on the condition they book their tour through travel agencies.
根据这项新出台的政策,通过旅行社,59国的团体或个人游客将在海南享受入境旅游免签政策,免签入境停留时间最多30天。
Countries benefiting from the policy include Russia, the UK, France, Germany, the US, South Korea and Japan.
这一免签政策将惠及俄罗斯、英国、法国、德国、美国、韩国和日本等国。
Hainan has offered a 15-day visa-free stay for group tourists from 21 countries since 2000, and added another five countries to the list in 2010.
自2000年起,海南已经为来自21个国家的团队游客提供了15天的免签证停留,并在2010年又增加了另外5个国家。
"By extending the policy to individuals and the stay to up to 30 days, the government aims to attract more international tourists, nurture the tourism industry and meet the needs of foreign individuals," said the administration's vice head Qu Yunhai.
国家移民管理局副局长曲云海表示:“将政策扩大到个人并延长至30天,政府的目的是吸引更多的国际游客,促进旅游业发展,满足外国个人游客的需求。”
The island has become a famous tropical resort for overseas tourists in recent years, with the number of overseas tourists exceeding 1.1 million in 2017, up nearly 50 percent year on year.
近年来,对海外游客来说,海南岛已成为一个著名的热带度假胜地,2017年海外游客的数量超过了110万,同比增长近50%。
"The policy will inject vitality into Hainan and bring us closer to our goal of becoming a world-class destination," said Sun Ying, director of the provincial tourism development commission.
海南省旅游发展委员会主任孙颖表示:“这一新政策将为海南注入活力,使我们更接近成为世界级旅游目的地的目标。”