Twelve passengers from Australia, the Netherlands, Argentina and Russia have become the first group of foreign tourists to take advantage of China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy to enjoy a complimentary one-day city tour in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on July 11, 2024. [Photos by Zheng Erqi/China Daily]

And starting Thursday, the special transfer counter at the International Arrival Hall of T2 in Guangzhou Baiyun Airport has officially begun its services, said the news release.

Passengers who hold foreign passports and make international transfers at Guangzhou can register for free city tour upon their arrival to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and local customs of Guangzhou, known as a millennium commercial capital and the southern gateway of China, it said.

As an important international aviation hub, Guangzhou, with a history of more than 2,200 years, has continuously enhanced the entry experience of foreign tourists by providing free one-day tours for international transit tourists and utilizes the firsthand experience of foreign tourists to promote "China Travel", enhancing Guangzhou's international communication influence and helping it build a world-class tourist destination.

Guangdong province has offered travelers from more than 50 nations and regions to enjoy the 144-hour visa-free visit from May 2019, with an aim to further promote the province's tourism industry.

And the provincial capital city Guangzhou, as one of the gateway cities implementing the visa-free transit policy, in the mainland, has now become a popular city for foreign tourist to enjoy the visa-free entry services in recent years thanks to the hub advantage of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport that has opened many international routes to link the city to the rest of the world, it added.