Tourists from China and Kazakhstan to enjoy mutual visa-free entries, starting next week

Tourists between China and Kazakhstan will enjoy visa-free treatment from next week, according to the official WeChat account of China Consular Affairs on Thursday, which is expected to boost tourism and trade exchange between the two countries.

The rule, which will take effective on November 10, said that Chinese and Kazakh nationals will be allowed to stay in each other's country for no more than 30 days for single crossing and stay 90 days as part of a 180-day visa-free period.

It grants visa exemption for citizens of both countries covering private affairs, tourism, medical treatment, international transportation, transit, and business purposes.

Recently, multiple countries have rolled out preferential visa policies for Chinese travelers, aiming to facilitate travel and promote economic and trade exchanges.

Last month, Sri Lanka's cabinet approved a proposal of offering visa-free entry for nationals from seven countries, including China, as a pilot project till March 31 of 2024. Sri Lanka's tourism industry aims to attract two million visitors in 2023, compared to the previous target of 1.5 million, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Tunisia implemented visa-free entry for Chinese travelers, which was confirmed by the Chinese Embassy in Tunisia on its official website on October 7. The policy applies to Chinese individuals and groups traveling to Tunisia, tourists are required to make hotel reservations and book air tickets before entering the country.

Outside of Sri Lanka and Tunisia, several other countries and regions have released similar policies for Chinese visitors, including Thailand, Angola and Georgia.

In September, Thailand approved a temporary visa waiver for visitors from China and Kazakhstan during the year-end high season in support of its vital tourism industry.

From September 24 to October 1, the first week after Thailand announced visa implementation for Chinese visitors, the number of Chinese tourists exceeded 100,000 in one week, a significant increase of 72.49 percent from the previous week, citing a report from thepaper.cn.

In pre-pandemic 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for about 28 percent of the nearly 40 million foreign tourists to Thailand. Tourism revenue accounts for about 12 percent of the country's GDP.