Thousands of foreign tourists visit Hainan visa-free

More and more foreigners have come to Hainan and fallen in love with the tropical island. [Photo/IC]

A total of 5,358 foreign tourists visited Hainan visa-free in the past week, a 25 percent year-on-year growth, according to data from the exit-entry administration bureau of Hainan. 

Most of the visitors came from Russia, South Korea, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

Hainan, China's southernmost island province, started a 30-day visa-free policy for people from 59 countries on May 1. Under the policy, individuals from the 59 countries can visit the province for 30 days visa-free, as long as they book their tours through travel agencies.

According to the regulation, foreigners who visit Hainan must provide their identity information and tour plans to the exit-entry administration bureau of Hainan through local travel agencies 24 hours before their arrival. The bureau will check the information and only those who pass the verification are allowed a visa-free entry.

For those who stay longer than 30 days and who want to visit other cities on the Chinese mainland, a visa is needed. 

Countries benefiting from Hainan's visa-free policy include Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the UAE.