ATHENS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thanks to a new visa policy introduced not long ago, Greek twin sisters Marianna and Sofia Erotokritou are excited at increasingly easier travel between Greece and China. The twin sisters have been studying and living between the two countries since 2013.
The twins held single-entry visas when they were students, eventually progressing to double-entry and multiple-entry visas. Visa application processes have become more and more streamlined over the years, they said.
The pair have become known for posting videos in Chinese on social media about Greek tourist destinations, as well as the country's culture, and way of life. At the same time, they also introduce Chinese civilization and everyday life to Greeks, attracting millions of views.
Three years ago, Marianna and Sofia Erotokritou were appointed "Ambassadors of Greek Tourism in China" by Greece's Tourism Ministry, in acknowledgement of their efforts to promote Greece in China.
"We currently hold a one-year work visa. It would be great if we could get a new five-year multiple-entry visa in the future," Marianna told Xinhua.
Since July 10, Greek citizens have been able to obtain five-year multiple-entry visas for the purposes of business, tourism, and family visits in China. Previously, only two-year multiple-entry visas were available. The new policy is aimed at promoting exchanges between Greece and China.
George Xiradakis, vice president of the Greek China Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Tourism, and Shipping, also praised the new visa policy. He described it as a "very positive step," particularly for business travelers who frequently visit China.
"Businessmen or businesswomen no longer need to spend a long time planning their trips, wasting time and money, and once they decide to visit China based on business needs, their travel will be much easier. This is an important initiative launched by the Chinese government," Xiradakis told Xinhua.
Greece is among the countries that have benefited from changes to visa policies for visits to China in recent months, Pan Ziyang, consul at the Chinese embassy in Athens, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
"We try to encourage everyone, more and more people, to visit China," Pan said.
In addition to the visa policy changes, Greece now also benefits from an increase in direct flights to China. Starting this spring, Air China has extended its Athens-Beijing service to five flights per week, while Juneyao Airlines has introduced a second direct route from Athens to Shanghai which runs three weekly flights.
China has launched a series of measures to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals and their stay in China, including relaxed visa application requirements and simplified procedures, exemption of border checks for certain transit passengers and more convenient mobile payment for foreigners.
According to China's National Immigration Administration (NIA), the country recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of this year, up 152.7 percent year on year.
The NIA expects the number of foreigners visiting China to continue to rise in the second half of this year. ■