Beijing saw nearly double the number of travelers that benefited from the capital's 72-hour visa waiver policy in January compared with the same period last year, authorities said on Tuesday.
The city received 1,746 transit passengers in January at Beijing Capital International Airport China Crew Visa application formwho benefitted from the waiver policy, which allows a visitor with an airline ticket to stay 72 hours without a visa. The jump represented a year-on-year increase of 184.8 percent, according to the Beijing Tourism Development Commission.
The capital approved the 72-hour visa waiver for people from 45 countries on Jan 1, 2013, to boost the city's inbound tourism. The commission said the policy has attracted more international tourists to the Chinese capital this year.
Commission officials also announced they are considering a tax refund program to attract more overseas tourists. The program would allow foreign visitors to claim tax refunds at shopping malls in the city.
City officials said they are working to make the visa application process easier for foreigners and create more customized tour packages, China Business Visa applicationincluding exclusive discounts at the international airport and for buses that will take tourists from the airport to hotels and attractions.
It is also seeking alliances with other Chinese cities that have already implemented visa waiver policies, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing, to market tourism in China to the world.
Dai Bin, professor of tourism at Beijing International Studies University, said the policy will help increase spending by overseas visitors.
According to the Beijing Port Office, the international airport received more than 7.06 million visits in January, a year-on-year increase of 9.2 percent.
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