Here's What China Reopening Its Borders Means for U.S. Travelers
These changes are big, but they don't mean you can plan your vacation just yet.
You may have seen that China is reopening its borders after years-long COVID-related restrictions. And while that is certainly true, the most recent changes in government policy mostly affect people residing within China. According to CNN, entering as an international traveler is still mostly off limits unless you are going for business or family reasons.
Currently, the Chinese government is not issuing tourist visas. These visas are part of the reopening plan that was announced on January 8, but there’s currently not a specific timeline on when it will happen. The biggest change right now is that the country no longer requires international arrivals to quarantine upon arrival in the country.
According to NPR, the number of international flights arriving in China is still dramatically lower compared to the number in 2019, before the pandemic officially began. Right now, you'll want to wait making any major plans to visit the country until officials have given more concrete details on when and how international tourism will resume in the country.
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.