Information from the Dec. 17, 2014, meeting of the central forum of the Capital Tourism Development Joint Council was released on Thursday. The key point of discussion was the 72-hour visa-free entry policy that was first introduced in 2013.
According to the data presented at the meeting, almost 40,000 citizens from 51 foreign countries utilized the visa option, representing 1 percent of the total number of tourists to Beijing in 2014.
The Joint Council meetings occurred following significant agreements that were signed between China and major Western nations in late 2014.
In November, U.S. Foreign Minister John Kerry informed the recipients of a newly launched 10-year U.S. visa for Chinese citizens that they were participants in a historic moment. The extended U.S. visa was part of an overall deal made by the two superpowers, which also established a 10-year China visa for U.S. citizens.
In December, the introduction of the "Select Business Scheme UK," (SBS UK) was announced by the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). The establishment of the SBS UK means that the visa process for Chinese business representatives is simplified, whereby only three documents--an application form, an invitation letter and a letter of employment--are required for submission.
Due to the lucrative nature of the tourism industry in China, the government is prioritizing initiatives in the area. Statistics presented by the "This Is Beijing!" website show that, by the end of 2013, the city had received a total of 252 million tourists, who contributed to revenue worth 391.32 billion yuan.
Song Yu, director of the Beijing Tourism Industry Development Joint Council Office and the Municipal Tourism Commission, provided updated data on the monetary value of Chinese tourism at the December meeting, stating that "during the first three quarters of 2014, the total number of tourists received by Beijing reached 194 million, up 3.6 percent year-on-year."