In 2018, Hainan proposed visa-free entry into the island, while recently, they plan to broaden it. After the change in existing policy, visa-free entry will be available for more people in an easier way for a longer period, according to the Ministry of Public Security's State Immigration Administration.
Visa-free access is currently available for 59 countries, and can be expected to expand in the future. Before the change in policies, visitors will have to register with travel agencies to enter the province and stay up to 30 days. After changing, though, they can apply visa-free access on their own, and stays longer than 30 days will also be permitted.
The range of purposes eligible for applying will also be enlarged, from travel to including business and trade, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions and sports competitions.
According to Jia Tongbin, the administration's deputy director in charge of foreign visitors, Hainan received 447,000 foreign visitors from the 59 countries from May 1, 2018, to June 30 this year, resulting an increase of 18.8 percent compared to the year-earlier period. Attracting not only visitors, but also talents in high-tech and business fields, it is reasonable to believe this change of policies will greatly promote the development of Hainan.