At 6:45 a.m. Beijing time on February 9, Singapore Airlines SQ801 landed at Singapore Changi Airport. The plane, which took off from Beijing at 00:10 on the same day, carried the first batch of tourists to experience the convenience of mutual visa exemption between China and Singapore.
According to the previously signed Agreement between the People's Republic of China** and the Republic of Singapore** on Mutual Visa Exemption for Ordinary Passport Holders, starting from February 9, 2024 (Chinese New Year's Eve), ordinary passport holders from China and Singapore can enter each other's countries visa-free to engage in private affairs such as tourism, family visits, and business for a stay of no more than 30 days.
As the first batch of "early adopter" visa-free tourists, they have expressed their joy. "After getting off the plane, you can register on the machine with your Chinese passport and go through the immigration process by yourself, which is very fast. The whole process is convenient and efficient, and the experience is super good. A tourist said.
The reporter also learned that there is also a 15-person tour group organized by Ctrip on the flight, and on the occasion of the handover of the Year of the Rabbit and the Year of the Dragon, this group of Chinese tourists will start the first trip of the New Year. "Originally, my family and I hadn't decided where to go for the Spring Festival, but when I saw that the mutual visa-free policy between China and Singapore started on Chinese New Year's Eve, I quickly signed up on Ctrip, and I actually caught up with the first batch. You don't need to apply for a visa in advance, and you can go just as you look at the group date, which is very convenient! Mr. Wang, a member of the group, said.
February 9 is Chinese New Year's Eve, many members are traveling with their families and families, and they will also enjoy overseas Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in Singapore to spend a warm and special Chinese New Year's Eve.
Over the years, China and Singapore have been important source countries for inbound tourism and destinations for outbound tourism. According to Ctrip data, as of February 8, the number of bookings of mainland tourists booking travel to Singapore during the 2024 Spring Festival holiday increased by more than 960% year-on-year. Among them, the most preferred source cities for Singapore are: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hangzhou.
In order to welcome Chinese tourists, the Sentosa Development Board and Trip.com Group have jointly prepared the "Sentosa Gift Package" for the majority of tourists to Singapore.
Poon Cheng Chee, Chief Representative and Executive Director, Greater China, Singapore Tourism Board, said, "Singapore has long been one of the most popular leisure and business destinations for Chinese tourists. With the official visa exemption between Singapore and China, we believe that it will further ignite the enthusiasm of Chinese tourists. In recent years, Singapore has also launched a number of new or upgraded attractions and large-scale activities, hoping to bring tourists a better and more diverse travel experience, and we warmly welcome more Chinese tourists to choose Singapore as an overseas travel destination. ”
Chen Guanqi, Vice President of Trip.com Group, believes that China and Singapore are separated by a strip of water, and the two places have a profound cultural exchange. The mutual visa exemption will not only provide more convenience for travelers, but also bring new market opportunities for tourism enterprises. As one of the key partners of Singapore Tourism Board in China and the world, Trip.com Group will actively contribute to tourism cooperation and exchanges between the two countries. Immediately after the announcement of the visa-free visit, Ctrip's platform launched a special page on the "New Year Tour in the Lion City", which focuses on Singapore's classic must-see attractions, food maps, insider notes and other information, as well as selected hotels, group tours, tickets and other products, providing users with a one-stop service for placing orders while planting grass. In March this year, Ctrip will also launch a Peranakan culture-themed itinerary and group tour product on the platform to bring tourists a better and deeper travel experience. With the first tour as the starting point for attracting tourists to Singapore, Ctrip will continue to promote Singapore as the preferred tourist destination for international travelers.
Author: Zhou Jieyu.
Text: Zhou Jieyu Editor: Chen Zidan Editor: He Yi.
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