by LINDSAY ROGERS

China Is Finally Issuing Visas to Foreign Visitors Again

Per AP News, China has officially begun issuing all types of travel visas again in an effort to revive tourism. Further, visa-free entry will also resume for those who had no visa requirement prior to the pandemic, Hainan Island residents among them.

That said, officials are skeptical. “Tourist industry insiders do not expect a massive influx of visitors in the short run or significant boost to the economy,” Joe Cash and Sophie Yu wrote in Reuters. “In 2019, international tourism receipts accounted for just 0.9% of China’s gross domestic product.”

It doesn’t bode well, either, that on March 10 the U.S. State Department issued an advisory urging American citizens to reconsider travel to China, including Hong Kong and Macao, citing to “arbitrary enforcement of local laws” and the risk of wrongful detention.

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