Visa-free policy lifts Guangzhou to China’s third most popular tourism destination

SYDNEY – Almost 40 per cent of all visitors stopping over in Guangzhou under a new 72-hour visa-free policy introduced in August last year were from Australia and New Zealand, according to Guangzhou Tourism Director-General, Zhu Li.

Speaking to travel agents in Sydney, Zhu said visitors from 30 countries had taken advantage of the policy, which allows passengers travelling on China Southern Airlines to visit any area of Guangdong Province for up to 72 hours. He said Guangzhou is now China’s third-largest city for tourism, registering more than 50 million visitor nights last year.

Chen Guojun, Chief Corporate Strategist for China Southern, said the airline had worked with Guangzhou Tourism to develop a range of short-stay packages focussing on the best experiences Guangzhou has to offer.