Starting this month, the Chinese city of Guangzhou, in Guangdong province, will be offering free one-day guided tours to foreign visitors taking advantage of the 144-hour visa-free transit. This initiative aims to capitalize on the upturn in inbound tourism to China.
The program, organized by a major Guangzhou travel agency, includes :
- A bus tour
- An English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing tours
- A lunch dim sum Cantonese
The proposed tour includes the following sites:
| Attraction | Description |
|---|---|
| Huacheng Square | Emblematic square |
| Chen Clan Ancestral Hall | Ancestral home |
| Yuexiu Park | Park home to the famous statue of the five rams |
| Guangdong Museum | Provincial Museum |
| Guangzhou Library | Public library |
| Guangzhou Opera House | Guangzhou Opera |
| Canton Tower | Guangzhou's landmark tower |
Visitors can register for this free program at a dedicated counter at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.. The exact launch date will be announced shortly by the city's office of culture, broadcasting, television and tourism.
Background and rationale
According to the National Bureau of Immigration, 466,000 visas issued to foreign nationals in the first quarter of 2024This represents a year-on-year increase of almost 120 %. During the same period, nearly 2 million visits were made to the Chinese mainland by visa-exempt foreigners, up 266 %.Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong and commercial hub of southern China, has been the country's leading city in terms of airport traffic for four years running. Offering free day tours to travelers in transit is common practice in international airport cities such as Istanbul, Doha and Dubai.
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