Travelers to China face changing visa rules
Michelle Baran, Travel Weekly, 5/28/2008
In the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in August, China is cracking down on visas for U.S. citizens, creating complications for travelers and the agents and operators trying to help them get there.
Steven Diehl, vice president of business development at CIBT, a passport and visa expediting service, said that since April, it's been increasingly difficult for people traveling to China to obtain leisure and business visas.
"You would think that at this time this would be the time to relax things to make it easier for people from other countries to go," said Diehl, in reference to the aftermath of the May 12 earthquake.
For tourists, in addition to the standard application, photo and airline reservations, some embassies and consulates are requiring complete land itineraries with hotel confirmations, proof of purchased airfare and in some cases even a bank statement.
And while operators and visa service agencies are scrambling to stay on top of the requirements, in essence, the experience varies from one Chinese embassy or consulate to the next. Sometimes additional documents may be required.
For business travelers, it has been increasingly difficult to get multiple-entry visas, as China has been trying to limit visas to single- and double-entry.
"Our concern is that people are just going to say, 'I don't want to go; it's not worth it.' And I think that that would be on China's mind, as well," Diehl said.
"If you're going to make it too difficult, people are just going to simply go somewhere else," he said.
The Chinese government has said that it is adjusting visa requirements in the run-up to the Games for security reasons.
China is expecting between 4.6 million and 4.8 million visitors this year, mostly because of the Games, being held Aug. 8 to 24.
But what was supposed to be a year of celebration and promotion for travel to China has been tarnished by controversy and tragedy, making it difficult for agents and tour operators to keep up with all the changes.
Violent protests that broke out in Tibet in mid-March prompted international criticism of China as well as a crackdown on tourism to the region, which has been closed to foreign visitors ever since.
Tibet is expected to be reopened to foreign tourists on June 1, though some operators said they heard it wouldn't reopen until after the Games.
Furthermore, promotional efforts for the Beijing Olympics have been dampened by mourning and grief for the more than 50,000 people believed dead from the May 12 quake.
And while no tourists appear to have been injured in the devastating quake, agents and operators have been working overtime to get updated information about the safety of travel to China for tourists headed there.