Complex visa rules, appreciating currency and pollution conspire to turn tourists away from China

Tom Berger, a Norwegian photographer and avid traveller, has visited China twice in the past five years. While he enjoyed learning about Chinese culture and making new friends during the trips, he found acquiring a China visa an enormous hassle. Besides a visa fee of €60 (HK$520), Berger says he had to pay another €75 for a third-party company to handle his application, as his city doesn't have a Chinese embassy.