
The Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism holds a welcoming ceremony at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport to warmly welcome South Korean tourists on Aug 19, 2024. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)
Nearly 200 tourists from South Korea recently arrived via charter flights at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of North China's Hebei province. These charter flights are becoming more common thanks to the 144-hour visa-free transit policy.
Hebei has 37 ports of entry that qualify under the policy, allowing nationals from 54 countries the opportunity for short-term travel and business visits.
Charter flights to Hebei for tourism on the Seoul-Shijiazhuang route will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, with a planned total of 60 flights this year, according to the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

The Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism holds a welcoming ceremony at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport to warmly welcome South Korean tourists on Aug 19, 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Since the beginning of this year, the province has utilized favorable policies such as the 144-hour visa-free transit to expand its inbound tourism market.
It has enriched tourism products, optimized tourism services, introduced policies to attract international tourists, and launched tourism routes tailored to visitors from different countries and regions.
Hebei has opened flights to Shijiazhuang from destinations such as Seoul in South Korea and Tokyo in Japan.
There are plans to launch additional charter flight routes from Malaysia and Singapore.