TRAVEL:VISA RESTRICTIONS which acted as a barrier for Chinese tourists visiting Ireland have been eased, the Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin has confirmed.
Tourism interests in Ireland have long complained that visa restrictions on the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) have been too restrictive. Previously Chinese visitors to Ireland had to provide six months of bank statements, marriage and birth certificates, and three consecutive pay slips, among other items.
Both Fine Gael and Labour have criticised the visa restrictions with Fine Gael’s tourism spokesman Jimmy Dennihan saying that easing visa restrictions to Ireland for Chinese and Indian visitors would be a priority in the party’s tourism strategy in government. Ms Hanafin said progress has been made on easing restrictions. “We’ve already done it through the Department of Justice and Law Reform. They have streamlined the visa operation. It is in operation and working quite well.”
Chinese visitors do not travel alone but as part of organised trips and Ireland has had approved destination status (ADS) since 2004. According to Tourism Ireland, the Department of Justice has waived the visa fee for groups of Chinese visitors who are part of groups with ADS and are also visiting the UK. Chinese visitors no longer have to prove that they do not have a criminal record.
Reforming the visa restrictions is imperative, given the growth of Chinese tourism and a recent survey by the Oriental Morning Postwhose readers voted Ireland the most popular destination of 2010. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the Asia-Pacific region will be one of the fastest-growing outbound regions over the next 15 years.
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