Currently, there are five ports of entry in Shandong where the 240-hour transit visa-free policy applies. [Photo/Qilu News]

China announced on Dec 17 that it will significantly relax its visa-free transit policy, extending the period of stay for foreign travelers and expanding the list of accessible ports of entry and provincial-level regions, in order to further promote openness and people-to-people exchanges.

For foreign nationals from the 54 countries already covered by the transit visa-free policy, the duration of stay has been extended from 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours. The policy coverage area has expanded from the original 19 provinces and 39 entry ports to 24 provinces and 60 open ports.

Among the 21 newly added ports in the relaxed transit visa-free policy, three airports in Shandong have been included, namely Yaoqiang in Jinan, Penglai in Yantai, and Dashuibo in Weihai. These three airports, along with Qingdao's Jiaodong International Airport and the Qingdao Port, are currently five ports where the 240-hour transit visa-free policy applies in Shandong. There are still other ports of entry in Shandong that are still under the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy.

The combined effects of visa-free policies and convenient customs clearance procedures have helped inbound tourism in Shandong recover rapidly. In April, the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, in conjunction with 14 departments, issued a document outlining 16 policy measures to accelerate the high-quality development of inbound tourism. These measures include optimizing visa and customs policies, integrating air and travel, enriching product offerings, improving end-to-end facilitation services, strengthening overseas marketing, and increasing support to ensure that international tourists have a great experience in Shandong.