(ECNS) -- Beijing International Airport has applied to prolong foreign visa-free stays from 72 hours to one week in order to attract more transit visitors, Beijing Daily reports.
A leading airport official said at the fourth Beijing Global Sister Airport President Forum that foreign tourists only have four to six hours to travel under the current policy due to widely dispersed tourist spots and terrible city traffic.
They will have time to leave Beijing for other Chinese cities once it is prolonged, it was added.
The official said that although the airport claims to be an international hub, foreign tourists only accounted for 25 percent by August 2015. The seven-percent passenger transfer rate falls far behind that of Incheon International Airport, according to information released.
Beijing has conducted a 72-hour visa free transit policy since 2013.
