China Removes COVID-19 Testing for Inbound Tourists – A Significant Boost for Tourism

Providing an all-important boost for the country’s tourism industry, China has done away with mandatory COVID-19 testing for inbound international travellers. The move was announced this August by Wang Wenbin, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson and came into effect from 30th August 2023. Since January this year, China has been reopening its borders for travel after three years since the outbreak of the global pandemic; this paved the way for Chinese citizens to visit other nations, while in March, the country began to issue tourist visas to foreign travellers.

Subsequently, the mandatory quarantine requirement for such tourists was done away with though COVID-19 testing remained. However, with this new directive, foreigners can look forward to easier entry to China which will be significant in terms of getting tourism back on track and enhancing economic activities. Travellers can also look forward to safe stays here in key destinations be it at hotels or apartments; Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, is amongst the popular cities to visit with accommodation providers like Somerset Swan Lake Hefei catering to business and leisure while implementing stringent health and hygiene measures too.