WUHAN, Feb. 1 -- Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province, will allow 72-hour transit visa exemptions for foreign nationals beginning March, local authorities said Sunday.

Foreigners will be able to visit Wuhan without visas within 72 hours when they are en route to a third country or region via the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WTIA), which currently allows 24-hour visa exemptions in a closed-off area of the airport.

Following Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Dalian, Shenyang and Xi'an, Wuhan will be the ninth city in the Chinese mainland to embrace the policy, which is expected to help ramp up the city's international access.

According to the local tourist administration, the city's management departments, travel agencies and scenic spots have been working on pre-arranged plans and tailored services for the upcoming increase of foreign tourists.

Direct flights between Wuhan and Melbourne, Chicago and Dubai are scheduled to be opened this year, according to the WTIA, which now operates 31 domestic and international routes.