Beijing mulls 3-day visa free stay for foreign tourists

Beijing authorities are considering allowing foreign tourists to visit China’s capital for up to three days without a visa, local media reported on Monday. Officials believe such a move would help attract tourists and demonstrate that Beijing is open to the world, the China Daily said. If approved, the policy will be similar to ones already in place in Shanghai (48 hours) and South China's Hainan province (21 days for tour groups), the newspaper said. Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, told the paper the move would be a “giant step forward” in the development of China’s tourism industry, while Wei Xiang, a professor of tourism management at Beijing International Studies University, said the project would also boost China's diplomacy and foreign trade.