Guangdong released an array of four-to-six-day travel itineraries tailored for international travelers during a promotional conference organized by the Guangdong Provincial Commerce Department in Guangzhou on Thursday.
The routes mainly focus on cities in the Pearl River Delta area of Guangdong Province, such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Zhongshan, and Jiangmen.
The itineraries cater to different travel types and interests, including leisure travel, food exploration, historical and cultural studies, and business trips, which allow travelers to fully benefit from the 144-hour visa-free transit policy.
For example, during a four-day tour featuring the Shenzhong (Shenzhen-Zhongshan) Link, tourists can visit the former residence of Sun Yat-sen, a leader in China's democratic revolution, in Zhongshan before traveling through the link to explore the tech hub of Shenzhen and relax on one of its beautiful beaches.
For tourists who want to explore Cantonese cuisine, a five-day culinary tour will take visitors to Shunde, known as the cradle of Cantonese cuisine, where they will learn to cook authentic Shunde cuisine. They can also take high-speed trains to the Chaoshan region to enjoy local specialties and experience gongfu tea culture by taking part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony that involves the ritualized preparation and presentation of tea.
The six-day tour for historical and cultural exploration is suitable for overseas parent-child visitors. Tourists can explore the rich heritage of Lingnan culture in Foshan and Jiangmen.
In a trade and business-themed tour, attendees of the Canton Fair, a world-famous trade fair held bi-annually in the spring and autumn in Guangzhou, can visit various commercial venues in Guangzhou and surrounding cities.
According to official data, with the implementation of unilateral visa waivers and an increase in countries covered by the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, the number of international visitors taking advantage of the policy increased by 190% in the first half of this year, reaching 8.54 million.
Among them, over 2.06 million international tourists entered or exited through the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, a 182.1% increase year on year.
Shenzhen received 2.17 million trips by international tourists from Jan. 1 to June 10, a year-on-year increase of 162.6%, according to the city's entry-exit authority.