News

China expands visa-free travel to 9 more countries

China, in a move to boost tourism and ease travel, announced visa-free entry to citizens from nine additional countries -- South Korea, Norway, Finland, Slovakia, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein. The new policy is set to take effect on November 8. Under this new visa policy, nationals of these countries will be allowed entry in China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit for up to 15 days without a visa. If reports are to go by, the visa exemption program will remain in place through December 31, 2025. The country has seen tremendous recovery in terms of international travel. If reports are to go by, China, in the third quarter of this year alone, received 8.186 inbound foreign travellers, marking a significant 48.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Reports also suggest that around 4.9 million travellers who visited China, entered through the already existing visa-free programme. Alongwith the expanded visa-free entry, there are additional measures put in place in order to streamline entry for foreigners. Measures such as reduced wait times for inspections, and the option for travellers to use overseas bank cards for subway fares, are going to make travel a lot easier when in China. By doing so, China will be making local transportation a lot more accessible to international travellers. The foreign ministry announced last month that it would continue optimising travel policies to make it easier for foreigners to visit and stay in the country. With the holiday season around the corner and an increasing interest in China as a travel destination, the expanded visa-free access is expected to encourage even more visitors in the coming years.

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Over 5.76 lakh travel by State buses during Diwali

In light of the Diwali festival, 5.76 lakh people have traveled via Tamil Nadu’s state transport buses over the past three days. The state operates eight major transport corporations, including those serving Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai, Villupuram, and Chennai, all of which arranged special buses for the holiday season. According to transport officials, 2,172 buses, including both regular and special services, were operated across these eight regions from October 28 to October 30. A total of 5,76,358 passengers utilized these services, with 1,50,510 passengers opting for advance booking. This special arrangement aimed to meet the increased demand for transportation as people traveled across the state to celebrate Diwali with their families.

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September Air Travel Reaches All-Time High Across the Globe

If you’ve traveled by plane during the month of September, then you’ve contributed to what the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has found to be the biggest September for air travel—ever. The demand for the month, which is measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased 7.1 percent from September 2023. Capacity was also up 5.8 percent from 2023. What’s driving this historic shoulder season demand? International travel remains a big trend for travelers this year: demand rose 9.2 percent year-over-year, while domestic travel only rose 3.7 percent. Several months have hit all-time air travel records, including this past July. Airlines in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions saw the highest demand, with 18.5 percent and 12.4 percent year-over-year growth. The region with the least growth? North America, which saw only a 0.5 percent increase from last year. But which regions saw the biggest growth in RPKs from last year? That title goes to the Asia-Pacific region, which saw an increase of 37.1 percent year-over-year. Europe and North America followed with other high increases, at 27.1 percent and 24.2 percent, respectively. “The year’s peak travel season ended with demand at an all-time high. This is good news not just for passengers but also for the global economy,” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA. “Every flight creates more jobs and trade. But the air travel success story is bringing challenges. We will soon face a capacity crunch in some regions which threatens to curtail these economic and social benefits.”

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Drop in US visa wait times paves way for belated travel recovery

America’s travel industry has gone through a sluggish recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic—reaching just 84% of its pre-pandemic international arrivals by the close of 2023. That’s in stark contrast to global competitors such as France and Spain, which blew past 2019 visitation levels that same year. One the major culprits: significant visa processing delays at US embassies around the world. Now there’s hope for a major turnaround for the US travel and tourism sector. At a press conference on Oct. 29, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said they expect a faster rebound in inbound visitation to the US, citing a long-awaited reduction in wait times for visa appointments and processing, which will help the US take advantage of major sporting events taking place there in the next 10 years. In the 12 months up to Sept. 30, the US State Department issued a record 11.5 million visas, 8.5 million of which were visitor visas, said Blinken. The median wait time for first-time visitors to receive an appointment for a visa interview at a US consulate has dropped to 60 days from more than 400 days. Blinken added that the State Department plans to increase the number of visa appointments by 1 million (8.7%) in 2025. These shorter wait times are helping boost travel to the US, which is now expected to reach its pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million visitors next year, according to the Commerce Department. By 2026, the country will be on track to receive 90 million visitors—a benchmark the government did not anticipate reaching until 2027.

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Car park for electric vehicles gets green light in Swindon, Wiltshire

Plans for a three-story car park on the site of a former park and ride have been given the go-ahead. The site in Swindon will be purpose built to store vans and electric vehicles. It will include charging points for vehicles and solar panels to regenerate energy used in recharging vehicles parked there. It is hoped the plans will help delivery companies transition to electric vehicles and have "social and environmental" benefits for the area. The facility will be built by Infinium Logistics, who say the site will provide firms with convenience and the chance to reduce their impact on the environment. They say it will allow businesses "to transition to zero carbon by the use of electric vehicles but also offer car and van charging facilities to the public.” The firm also believes will benefit local residents by "reducing the number of ‘white vans’ parked on streets overnight." The brownfield site, on the former Groundwell industrial estate, is set to be transformed following approval from Swindon Borough Council. Plans also include welfare facilities for staff and users, and permission to build a single-storey commercial building, most likely to be used as a café.

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Indian Railway enhances security measures for passengers

Amid the festive rush, Indian Railways is making every effort to ensure safe travel for the passengers and avoid any untoward incidents, the Railway Ministry said on Wednesday. "Transporting people across India during Diwali and Chhath is a challenging task, but after successfully managing similar operations during Navratri and Durga Puja, Indian Railways is now fully prepared to help the commuters reach their native places for the ongoing Diwali and the upcoming Chhath celebrations," the ministry said in a press statement. It also urged the passengers that if they come across any suspicious substances on railway premises, they should inform it to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) using the designated helpline 139 and the RailMadad portal. "As Diwali approaches, bringing light, joy and a surge in travel across the country, the RPF has implemented strengthened safety measures to ensure secure and seamless train journeys for millions of passengers," the statement said. "To ensure safe travel during this festive season, RPF has launched an all-encompassing safety drive to curb fire hazards and prevent accidents on the railway network," it added.

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