An aerial drone photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows the Silver Shadow cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, docking at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality. (Xinhua)

China on Wednesday enforced a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.

Tourist groups each consisting of two foreigners or more, and organized or received by Chinese travel agencies, can enter China visa free on board cruise ships via the cruise ports in 13 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Sanya, and others, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA).

The tourists can stay in China for no longer than 15 days. While in China, they can visit coastal provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions as well as Beijing, according to an NIA statement.

Additionally, the NIA announced that seven cruise ports, namely Dalian, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beihai, have been designated as visa-free transit ports for nationals from 54 countries.

This move facilitates the transit and departure of foreign travelers from these ports via cruise ships under China's visa-free transit policy, the statement noted.

To make cruise entry and exit procedures more convenient, the NIA has introduced a range of measures focusing on facilitating clearance for foreign cruise passengers, crew landing, and cruise maintenance, among other services, according to Mao Xu, a senior NIA official.