UK announces changes to visitor visas for Chinese tourists
TravelBizNews Desk —
London: New visitor visas for tourists from China will be valid in the UK for 2 years from 2016,, bringing significant benefits to the UK economy.
From January, new visitor visas for tourists from the People’s Republic of China will be valid in the UK for 2 years – 4 times the usual 6-month limit for a standard visitor visa – bringing significant benefits to the UK economy, Prime Minister David Cameron announced.
He also announced his intention to go further with plans for a new 10 year multi-entry visa for Chinese tourists at no extra cost.
Chinese tourists currently contribute £500 million annually to the UK economy with record numbers visiting the UK to make the most of all the retail opportunities and visitor attractions on offer – up 35% between April and June this year compared to the same period in 2014, according to latest figures from VisitBritain.
Overall, visit visas to Chinese nationals have almost trebled over the last 5 years from 115,000 in 2009 to 336,000 in 2014, with spending increased by 326%. With every Chinese visitor spending on average £2,688 every time they visit, the extension of the visitor visa will enable them to maximise their spending power even further according to a press release issued by British Prime Minister’s office.
“Overall inbound tourism, one of its fastest growing services, was worth more than £26 billion to the UK economy in 2013, so the benefits of increasing Chinese tourism can also be seen in job creation where, for example, every 22 additional Chinese visitors create an additional job in the sector.”
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “China is becoming one of our fastest-growing tourism markets so making it easier and more convenient for Chinese visitors to come to the UK is extremely important.”
Richard Dickinson, Chairman of the UK-China Visa Alliance said:’Prioritising longer lasting visas is a significant step forward in the campaign to encourage more Chinese visitors to the UK. It’s great value and reduces the need to apply for a new visa for every trip. We warmly welcome this initiative.’
The standard 6 month UK visitor visa currently costs £85. The new 2 year visitor visa and the 10 year visitor visa, when it is introduced, will cost the same as the standard visitor visa no matter how visits are made according to the release.
Oct.21, 2015
