A foreign tourist visits Dashilan commercial street in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

More Croatians will visit China as the new policy makes travelling much easier. 

China's recent visa-free policy for Croatia is expected to significantly boost travel and deepen business connections between the two nations, according to Nikola Vrdoljak, CEO of Croatia's largest consulting firm, 404 Agency.

"I am very happy that China introduced the visa-free policy. I think it is a big step in the right direction," Vrdoljak said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

As the new policy makes travelling to China much easier, "more and more people from Croatia" will hence visit China, he noted.

China announced on Nov. 22 that ordinary passport holders from nine more countries -- Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan -- will enjoy visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis starting Nov. 30. This brings the total number of countries eligible for visa-free access to China to 38.

Foreign tourists fill in entry cards at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

Under this arrangement, visitors can stay in China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes such as business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit.

Moreover, Vrdoljak pointed out visa-free policy will surely benefit the business connections between the two sides as "obtaining a visa can be time-consuming and definitely a hassle, especially as I am a businessman."

"Business always profits from the more open borders and more connections as it is going to be less costly," he said. "Thanks to this visa-free arrangement, business will grow, tourism will grow, and that benefits both countries."

Foreign tourists visit Tianzifang, an art area in east China's Shanghai, Dec. 3, 2024. (Photo by Chen Haoming/Xinhua)

The CEO also highlighted the remarkable role enhanced economic connections played in fostering bilateral ties. He said "more business means better relations, means better understanding between two countries. So I think this is really a good step for the relationship between Croatia and China."

According to the Croatian CEO, outbound tourism in Croatia has been on the rise, and China, a huge country with a long history and rich cultural heritage, offers numerous attractions for Croatian as well as European tourists. "So I am confident that outbound tourism to China from Croatia will increase," he added.