PRC has been closed to tourists for 3 years

The PRC Government announced yesterday that starting today 15 March 2023 the country has reopened to tourists and has resumed issuing all visas.

PRC has been closed to tourists for 3 years, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, under the government's "zero covid" policy.

Also, visa-free entry has resumed for certain popular tourist and business destinations like Hainan Island, and for cruise ships passing through Shanghai.

If you are a non-citizen of PRC and hold a valid visa issued prior to 28 March 2020, you can enter PRC now.

Non-citizens can now enter Guangdong from Hong Kong and Macao.

No guarantee, but a PRC Government source has said that foreigners who have passed a pre-boarding antigen covid test will be allowed to enter.

PRC also added another 40 countries to its list of those from which it welcomes group tours - but not Japan, Korea, Australia or the US.

Increasing Western concerns over China's human rights issues, foreign policy and handling of COVID may forestall any major influx of tourists from outside Asia.

Only 4.5M foreigners entered China in 2022.

Will PRC be able to orchestrate a revival of its tourism industry in 2023? Stay tuned.