East China's Hangzhou City began to offer 72-hour visa-free entry for international transit passengers on Monday, a move to boost tourism and business.
Â
The policy covers travelers from 51 countries, including the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Japan. They can enjoy a 72-hour stay in Zhejiang Province after entering the country via Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, providing they have third country visas and onward tickets to leave for a third country or region within 72 hours.
Â
The move will boost international tourism, commercial and trade cooperation as well as cultural exchanges, said Chen Zongyao, a senior provincial government official on Monday.
Â
Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, is one of the favorite destinations for domestic tourists. But its inbound tourism is weak.
Â
In the first half of this year, Hangzhou received 48 million domestic tourist arrivals and only 1.5 million from overseas, according to the municipal tourism commission.
Â
The same visa-free policy is already in place in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang, Dalian and Guilin.
Â
The State Council, China's cabinet, issued a guideline in August to further expand the policy.