This is a real opportunity for tourism to China. Air China just received a New Years gift from their central government.
The Beijing Municipal Government announced that, as of December 28, 2017, six points of arrival in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, including the Beijing Capital International Airport, Tianjin Binhai International Airport and Shijiazhuang International Airport will permit foreign persons from 53 countries including Austria to enjoy visa-free transit treatment for a period of 144 hours when they have a valid connecting flight ticket for a third country (or region like Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau).
This policy will be a strong driver for the tourism and aviation industry throughout the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. Air China Limited (“Air China”) will actively facilitate the new visa-free transit policy. Putting the needs of connecting flight passengers first, Air China will improve its products and services to further enhance the quality of its operations and provide passengers with maximum convenience when they enter Beijing.
Air China has a strong network of routes and is the ideal for passengers who cross the border into Beijing.
Currently, Air China has over 420 routes of which 101 are international, with 16 regional routes, and connections to 185 cities in 40 countries and regions, covering six continents. We provide passengers over 1.66 million seats on 8,500 routes each week. Additionally, Air China’s route network extends to 1,330 destinations in 192 countries through the Star Alliance. Our impressive route network meets the needs of most foreign passengers. The 144-hour visa-free policy through the Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang airports will meet the needs of third-country tourism.
Air China will also improve the transit hub capacity at Beijing and optimize a seamless transition for visa-tree passengers.
Introducing a 144-hour visa-free transit policy will also increase the number of inbound passengers in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. Air China will also use this opportunity to make real-time capacity adjustments based on transit demand and provide passengers with smooth transit support through Beijingso that passengers from all over the world can make a seamless visa-free entry to Beijing. Moreover, Air China will also launch special tourism products to meet the needs of passengers in partnership with local Beijing travel agencies, and launch a series of related products to invite travelers to embark on a journey to discover the beauty of China, all while bringing a peerless service experience to passengers.
The Joint Beijing Tourism Committee, Star Alliance, and Capital Airport will provide passengers with more convenience
In early 2017, Air China, the Beijing Tourism Committee, and the Capital Airport Company Limited signed an Inbound Tourism Markets Joint Promotions Strategic Cooperation Agreement to provide regular communication and prepare to launch the 144-hour visa-free transit policy. Air China again jointed forces with the Star Alliance and the Beijing Capital International Airport to sign the “Under One Roof” Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in December 2017. The three parties agreed to collaborate closely to improve the Beijing Capital International Airport, making it a first-class hub airport, making noticeable improvements to the passenger experience, Passengers will enjoy a higher level of convenience through shared airport facilities, optimized transfer procedures, and enhanced alliance services.
List of countries eligible for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region 144-hour transit visa-free policy (53 in total)
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
