China’s Visa Policy Threatens Olympics Tourism

With the Beijing Olympics less than two months away, hotel operators, travel agencies, and foreign businessmen say new Chinese visa restrictions are proving bad for business, casting a pall over Beijing during what was supposed to be a busy and jubilant tourist season leading up to the Olympic Games.

Chinese authorities acknowledged putting new visa restrictions in place in May — after foreign embassies reported fewer visas being granted and tighter, sometimes seemingly arbitrary, restrictions. The government did not release guidelines detailing the changes in policy; it often does not. But a foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, said in May that they would be temporary.

On Monday, Hu Bin, a visa official at the foreign ministry, said the ministry had no statistics on the number of visa denials, but that the new policies were put in place for “security considerations.”

Student travel industry heats up

Summer is bringing more than housing sales. It's also peak travel season for students and families who take advantage of the break in the school year. And travel agents have been taking advantage of the upcoming travel boom, with new tours on offer.

This travel agency is selling several 2- or 3-day tours to destinations like Beijing, Hebei and Shandong Province. These cheaper tours have been specially designed for high school graduates.

Another trip, a 5-day tour to Hainan, costs about 2 thousand yuan, ten percent cheaper than last year.