China has announced Australians will get visa-free entry for stays up to 15 days, but will it make any difference?
Last month the Chinese government, on a panda diplomacy tour of Australia, announced it will grant Australian travellersIt’s an attempt to ramp up inbound tourism, which has been seriously flagging since the pandemic. Foreign visitors are arriving at only 30 per cent of 2019 levels, even though domestic tourism is booming.
The biggest hurdle has always been the visa application process. Tourists needed to negotiate long lines at visa application centres, rigorous demands and scrupulous questioning of itineraries and professions. When he asked me to wait while he consulted a superior, I admit I started to tremble. My fellow travellers waved as they went through without a hitch, and I worried I may never see them again.A female official asked me to stand aside. Although she was polite, I imagined that next stop was not my riverside hotel but detention. After about 15 minutes and much intense consultation between people, I was taken to another counter and handed my passport. I was never sure what was wrong.
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