40 Countries Added to China's List Allowing Group Travel for Nationals, 'South Korea Excluded'

China has added 40 countries to the list of destinations where its citizens are allowed to participate in overseas group tours. South Korea was once again excluded.

The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on its website that from the 15th of this month, online and offline travel agencies can pilot the sale of group tour packages and "airfare + hotel" packages to Chinese citizens for 40 additional countries, but South Korea was not on the list.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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The 40 newly added countries include Nepal, Brunei, Vietnam, Mongolia, Iran, Jordan, Tanzania, Namibia, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Zambia, Senegal, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Serbia, Croatia, France, Greece, Spain, Iceland, Albania, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, Slovenia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, the Commonwealth of Dominica, and the Bahamas.

Earlier, on January 20, China allowed group tours for its citizens to 20 countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, New Zealand, Fiji, Cuba, and Argentina. This policy has been in effect since the 6th of last month.

China's exclusion of South Korea from the first batch of 20 countries allowed for group tours was interpreted as a result of serious tensions caused by the suspension of mutual short-term visa issuance between South Korea and China at that time.

However, since the restriction on issuing short-term visas for South Koreans traveling to China was lifted on the 18th of last month, effectively ending the standoff between South Korea and China, attention is focused on the reasons behind South Korea's continued exclusion.

Japan and the United States, like South Korea, were also not included in either the first or second list of countries allowed for group tours by China.

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