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Wednesday 16 September

9 updates
Policy & visas
Pinchain TourismChina

China Regulators Issue Administrative Guidance to Online Hotel Booking Platforms

China's State Administration for Market Regulation, together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform sector, requiring platforms including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Trip.com, Tongcheng and Fliggy to strictly fulfill compliance responsibilities and prevent competitive risks. Platforms were told to comply with the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law and Tourism Law, learn from cases, self-inspect, and guard against exclusive cooperation and 'lowest price across the internet' practices and other involution-style competition risks.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

Expert Analysis: From Single Tourism Land Guarantee to Coordinated Allocation of Tourism-Related Na…

Zeng Bowei of Beijing Union University's Tourism College analyzes the joint guidance on optimizing natural resource allocation for regulated tourism development. The article notes that the 2015 tourism land policy expired in 2020, and the new guidance re-integrates tourism factor policies under the 'multi-plan integration' territorial spatial planning system and natural resource asset management framework. It examines five key areas: planning coordination with space first, differentiated land-use control, integrated resource supply, stock revitalization, and full-lifecycle service supervision, noting the policy shifts tourism project development from solely guaranteeing construction land to…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

Ministry of Culture and Tourism issues 15th Five-Year Plan for culture and tourism

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Culture and Tourism Development, targeting deeper progress toward a culture and tourism powerhouse by 2030. It deploys eight priority areas including artistic creation, cultural heritage protection, public services, industry development, market regulation, technology, exchanges, and regional coordination, supported by 54 key projects.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina / Anhui

Anhui Regulators Issue Rules on Hotel Room Pricing During Peak Periods

The Anhui Provincial Administration for Market Regulation, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Commerce, and the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism jointly issued a notice on regulating hotel room market prices during peak periods, covering major holidays, tourism peaks, key examination periods, and major events. The notice prohibits four categories of violations: failure to clearly mark prices, price fraud, price gouging, and price collusion. It requires online trading platforms to establish price compliance review mechanisms and accurately display room rates, room types, and cancellation/change rules. It also targets platforms forcing o…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina / Yichang / Wuhan / Hubei

Hubei Proposes Accelerating Development as a World-Renowned Cultural Tourism Destination

Ke Ke, Party Secretary and Director of Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, outlines Hubei's path to becoming a world-renowned cultural tourism destination under the 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Tourism Power. The article proposes five measures: building a cultural highland, optimizing spatial layout to create a key hub on the Yangtze River International Golden Tourism Belt, enriching quality products and services, deepening integration and innovation to cultivate a pillar cultural tourism industry, and expanding the 'Zhiyin Hubei' brand. The plan calls for high-quality development of the Yangtze River International Golden Tourism Belt, with Wuhan and Yichang included i…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism issues 15th Five-Year Plan for culture and tourism

China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Culture and Tourism Development, targeting deeper progress toward a culture and tourism powerhouse by 2030, with 8.3 billion domestic trips, 190 million inbound trips, and 3.5 annual per-capita uses of public cultural facilities. The plan covers eight priority areas including artistic creation, cultural heritage protection, public services, industry development, market regulation, technology, exchanges, and regional coordination, supported by 54 key projects.

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

Three Ministries Issue Guidelines to Optimize Natural Resource Allocation for Regulated Tourism Dev…

China's Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and National Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly issued guidelines to optimize natural resource allocation and promote regulated, orderly tourism development. The guidelines cover tourism development space, use control, resource supply, stock utilization, and supervision. They clarify the link between tourism special plans and territorial spatial planning, incorporate 15th Five-Year Plan tourism space needs into a unified map, combine incremental supply with stock revitalization, apply differentiated use controls, explore treating multiple plots as one parcel and bundled natural resource asset supply, move app…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerMiddle East / China / Ukraine / Canada / Mediterranean / Europe / EU / Western Balkans

European Commission President Delivers 2026 State of the Union Address

European Commission President von der Leyen delivered the 2026 State of the Union address in Strasbourg on 16 September 2026, outlining EU policy directions on security, economy, climate, technology and migration. She announced new initiatives including a European security strategy, a European Instrument for Strategic Enablers, a European Corporation on Critical Raw Materials, a Climate Insurance Alliance, a European Heatwave Plan, a European Water initiative, the EU KIDS Act and the Digital Fairness Act, while emphasising faster Single Market reform, administrative simplification, clean energy and AI development.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerChina / Brazil / EEA / EU / Australia

European Commission Sends Statement of Objections Over MMG's Acquisition of Anglo American's Nickel…

The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to MMG Limited over its proposed acquisition of Anglo American's nickel business, preliminarily finding the deal may restrict competition in the low-carbon ferronickel market. The Commission is concerned MMG could divert low-carbon ferronickel supply away from European markets toward its affiliated stainless steel producers, raising costs for European stainless steel production. MMG is controlled by China Minmetals Corporation, which is controlled by SASAC, which also controls several stainless steel producers. The Commission must decide by Nov. 30, 2026.

Tuesday 15 September

16 updates
Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerSouth Africa / EU / French Guiana / Finland

European Commission Daily News: Energy Regulation Academy, SMR Investment and Sentinel-3C Launch

The European Commission issued a series of updates on 15 September: launching the Energy Regulation Academy (EnRA) with the European University Institute to train national public officials over three years on implementing EU electricity market reforms; backing an EIB investment of up to €40 million in Finnish SMR developer Steady Energy via InvestEU; successfully launching the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite for ocean, land, atmosphere and climate monitoring and disaster response; committing over €57.8 million through Team Europe to South African green hydrogen and critical raw materials projects; and clearing Iberdrola's acquisition of Finland's Caruna.

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerUkraine / EU

EU Defence Readiness Omnibus Advances with Permitting Deadlines and Transfer Rules

European Commissioner Kubilius told the European Parliament plenary on 15 September 2026 that a provisional agreement with the Council has been reached on the Defence Readiness Omnibus. Measures include a maximum 42-working-day permitting deadline for new factories (102 days in complex cases) with tacit approval, exemptions and greater legal clarity for using critical chemicals for defence, simplified European Defence Fund procedures with testing allowed in Ukraine, higher procurement thresholds and joint procurement options, and reduced barriers plus new general transfer licences for intra-EU defence product transfers. The Commission will present a defence market package before the end of…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerGermany / Italy / EU / Belgium / Spain

EU Adopts Fair Labour Mobility Package with Six Legislative Proposals

The European Commission adopted the Fair Labour Mobility Package, comprising six legislative proposals: the ESSPASS Regulation, the ELA Regulation, the Skills Portability Act, the Professional Qualifications+ Directive, the Delegated Directive on Physiotherapists and the Third Country National Qualifications Directive. The package moves labor mobility from paper to digital, including real-time verification of social security documents such as the Portable Document A1 via a mobile app; strengthens the European Labour Authority's inspection and enforcement capacity; digitalises qualifications from secondary school to PhD; shortens qualification recognition procedures and expands automatic rec…

Policy & visas
European Commission Press CornerCeuta / Morocco / EU / Spain

European Commission Addresses Ceuta Situation and EU Border Control

European Commissioner Brunner addressed the European Parliament on the situation in Ceuta, stating that nearly 80,000 people entered illegally from Morocco over two days in late July, an unprecedented event. The Schengen area's integrity was preserved through Spanish action with Moroccan cooperation, but thousands remain, including over 2,000 unaccompanied minors. The EU granted €114.7 million in emergency assistance to Spain for border surveillance, screening facilities, and return support, and plans to strengthen Frontex, combat smuggling, and implement new return rules.

Policy & visas
EU Transport NewsStrasbourg / Europe

EU European Mobility Week 2026 focuses on mobility for all generations

The European Commission's annual flagship campaign, European Mobility Week, runs from 16 to 22 September 2026 with more than 2,500 towns and cities participating. This year's theme, 'Mobility for Everyone', places intergenerational fairness at the centre, stressing that people of all ages should access sustainable transport regardless of income, location, gender or abilities. Activities include Car-Free Days in numerous cities, cycling and walking events, educational projects for pupils, and the inauguration of permanent measures such as bicycle ramps on staircases and expanded 30 km/h zones. Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas launched the week on 15 S…

Policy & visas
Pinchain TourismHallasan National Park / Jeju April 3 Peace Park / Jeju City / Jeju Province / South Korea

Chinese Consulate Reminds Visitors to Jeju to Follow South Korea Drone Rules

The Chinese Consulate General in Jeju reminded Chinese citizens in and traveling to Jeju to comply with South Korea's drone rules. South Korea strictly controls unmanned aircraft, and all flights must comply with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation safety rules, which specify altitude, time, no-fly, and controlled areas. The newly revised Article 161 of South Korea's Aviation Safety Act takes effect on September 17, 2026, significantly strengthening penalties for illegal drone flights; flying without approval in a no-fly zone can result in up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won (about RMB 50,000). In Jeju Province, drone flights and photography…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina / Jiulongjiang River / Wuyishan / Taining / Fujian / Minjiang River / Xiapu

Fujian Issues Beautiful China Pilot Zone Construction Plan, Develops Cultural Tourism and Wellness…

On September 14, the Fujian Provincial People's Government issued the 'Fujian Beautiful China Pilot Zone Construction Implementation Plan,' proposing to adhere to ecological priority, ecological sharing, and ecological strength, with the Beautiful China Pilot Zone basically completed by the end of 2030. The plan proposes improving the 'one main area, three belts, nine clusters' spatial layout, strengthening Wuyi Mountain National Park protection and the development belt around it, and creating beautiful rivers and lakes such as the Minjiang and Jiulongjiang rivers and a thousand-mile coastal greenway. On industry, the plan proposes accelerating the development of ecological advantage indust…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina / Guangzhou

Gaming and Amusement Industry Compliance and Innovation Symposium Held in Guangzhou

The China Cultural and Entertainment Industry Association led a symposium on compliance and innovative development of the gaming and amusement industry in Guangzhou, attended by officials from some regional authorities, industry associations and leading companies. The meeting conveyed the latest regulatory requirements on compliance management, emphasizing prevention of gambling-related risks, strict protection of minors, and content and information security. It noted the industry is in a key phase of structural adjustment and upgrading, with rising international recognition of domestic amusement equipment and good overseas market growth, showing a 'domestic upgrading, overseas growth' patt…

Policy & visas
Pinchain TourismChina / Beijing

Beijing Proposes Holiday Extended and Staggered Hours for Municipal First-Class Museums

The 26th session of the Standing Committee of the 16th Beijing Municipal People's Congress conducted a second review of the Beijing Museum Regulations (Draft). Building on the first draft's encouragement of extended and staggered opening, the second draft sets firmer requirements: during national statutory holidays and school winter and summer vacations, museums should open normally, and municipal first-class national museums should adopt extended and staggered opening hours. The draft also encourages free public access with necessary funding support from municipal and district governments; museums should provide free guided tours at fixed times or via information technology, encourage dire…

Policy & visas
Pinchain TourismChina / Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region / Anhui Province

Multiple 4A Scenic Areas Downgraded or Delisted in Anhui and Inner Mongolia Under New National Stan…

Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Department of Culture and Tourism successively issued announcements canceling or downgrading the quality ratings of certain 4A-level scenic areas within their jurisdictions. Anhui canceled the quality ratings of 6 4A-level scenic areas and downgraded one eco-cultural tourism zone from 4A to 3A; Inner Mongolia canceled the quality ratings of 2 4A-level scenic areas and 1 3A-level scenic area, approved 2 scenic areas' applications to cancel their A-level ratings, downgraded 4 4A-level scenic areas to 3A, and issued notices of criticism to 3 scenic areas with a 6-month rectification deadline. The actions we…

Policy & visas
UK CAA NewsLondon / United Kingdom

UK CAA Updates Airspace Change Process to Accelerate Modernisation

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has updated its Airspace Change Process to reflect new Government policy in the Air Navigation Directions and Air Navigation Guidance, with the updated CAP1616 taking effect on 1 October 2026. The CAA calls it a significant reform of how airspace changes are proposed, assessed and approved, supporting the UK Airspace Modernisation Strategy and having an immediate effect on proposed airspace changes in the London area. The reforms streamline requirements for lower-impact changes to reduce red tape while maintaining safety oversight and consultation. The CAA says the changes will help reduce flight delays caused by capacity constraints and strengthen alig…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

Three Ministries Issue Guidance on Optimizing Natural Resource Allocation for Orderly Tourism Devel…

China's Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and National Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly issued guidance on optimizing natural resource allocation to promote orderly tourism development. The document covers spatial planning, land-use regulation, resource supply, reuse of existing space, and service supervision. It requires integrating 15th Five-Year Plan tourism spatial needs into the national territorial spatial planning 'one map', allows certain tourism support facilities outside urban development boundaries or managed under original land categories, supports eco-tourism activities such as camping, hiking, and study tours outside core protected ar…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsShanghai / China / Beijing / Jiangsu / Zhejiang

SAMR and Ministry of Culture and Tourism Hold Administrative Guidance Meeting for Online Hotel Book…

On Sept 15, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform services industry, directing platform companies to fulfill compliance responsibilities and prevent and resolve industry competition risks. The meeting required platforms to strictly comply with the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law and Tourism Law, learn from cases, self-inspect, and guard against exclusive cooperation, 'lowest price across the entire internet' and other 'involution' issues and competition risks, and to build long-term compliance mechanisms. Heads o…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsChina

Digital Rural High-Quality Development Action Plan Proposes Rural 'Small and Beautiful' Cultural To…

The Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the Digital Rural High-Quality Development Action Plan (2026-2030), deploying 24 measures across five areas. The plan proposes deepening agriculture-culture-tourism integration, launching rural tourism digital enhancement and rural 'small and beautiful' cultural tourism initiatives; promoting rural digital culture, implementing the 'Art Enriches Rural Areas' action, and integrating intangible cultural heritage with digital creative products and rural tourism; and cultivating open digital rural application scenarios, including cultural tourism…

Policy & visas
Pinchain TourismChina / Beijing

Beijing 15th Five-Year Open Economy Plan: Enriching Inbound Tourism Products

Beijing has issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for High-Level Open Economy Development, which calls for fully utilizing unilateral visa-free entry, mutual visa exemption, 240-hour transit visa-free entry, and port group tourist visa policies to enrich inbound tourism products and itineraries and optimize the inbound consumption environment. The plan also promotes high-quality development of services trade and digital trade, coordinated development of Beijing's international air passenger and cargo transport, and an improved international air express network. It calls for expanding the coverage of departure tax-refund stores and promoting "buy now, refund now," accelerating construction of a glo…

Policy & visas
China Tourism NewsShangyou / China / Chongyi / Jiangxi / Ganzhou

Jiangxi Promotes Integrated Development of Commerce, Agriculture, Culture, Tourism, Sports, and Hea…

From September 8 to 9, Lu Xiaoqing, member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and head of the Publicity Department, conducted research in Ganzhou, emphasizing the need to leverage Jiangxi's cultural tourism resource endowments, promote the integrated development of commerce, agriculture, culture, tourism, sports, and health, and transform resource advantages into development and prosperity advantages. The research covered the Fushougou Museum, the New Era Civilization Practice Point in Longshan Shoufu Community in Chongyi County, the Sanqi Outdoor Sports Base in Guobu Town, Muxinji Homestay and Yangming Lake Visitor Center in Shangyou County, Yilian Technolo…