China to re-open visa applications after strict COVID-19 policies

March 14 (UPI) -- China on Wednesday will fully open its borders to foreign travelers after imposing strict restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

China's consular will start processing new visa applications and honoring valid travel visas issued before the shutdown of its borders to travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

The nation will also begin visa-free entry for the island of Hainan, cruise ships visiting Shanghai and in the Guangdong province from foreign travelers from Hong Kong and Macao.

Chinese citizens will be allowed to travel to 60 countries on tour groups, a change from 20 during the pandemic.

Officials are hoping tourism will give China's economy a jumpstart as its gross domestic product grew by 3% in 2022, its lowest in about 50 years. The Chinese government earlier this month announced a projected 5% growth in its economy for 2023, its lowest forecast in recent history.

The Chinese government registered 115 million cross-border trips in 2022, well short of the 670 million in pre-pandemic 2019.

Foreign travel suffered a freefall -- from 97.7 million in 2019 to 4.47 million last year.

China had implemented a strict "zero-COVID" policy but began to ease the tight restrictions in December following waves of protests.