China Sees New Year Tourism Surge With Relaxed Immigration Rules

Image generated with Ai

China’s recent easing and expansion of immigration policies is set to position the country as a top destination for international travelers during the upcoming New Year holiday.

According to projections by the National Immigration Administration, the daily flow of inbound and outbound travelers is expected to reach 2.05 million during the holiday period, reflecting an 18.8% increase compared to the same time last year. The busiest travel times are anticipated to fall on the evenings of December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025.

Meanwhile, the four major international airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu are projected to manage nearly 200,000 international passengers each day during the festive season.

This month, China introduced a major update to its visa-free transit policy, extending the allowable stay for eligible foreign visitors from the previous 72 and 144 hours to an impressive 240 hours, equivalent to 10 days.

The revised policy enables travelers from 54 eligible countries to transit through China without a visa when heading to a third destination. These visitors can enter through any of the 60 approved ports located across 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, staying within designated areas for up to 240 hours.

Additionally, China has established full mutual visa exemption agreements with 26 countries and has unilaterally granted visa-free access to citizens of 38 nations.

Statistics from the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection reveal that between December 17 and 24, nearly 1,000 foreigners received 240-hour temporary entry permits. The top five nationalities among these travelers were from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Canada.

Since China expanded its visa-free policy to include travelers from South Korea and Japan last month, the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection has recorded 11,000 passenger flights between Shanghai and the two nations. During this period, 363,000 South Korean and Japanese tourists arrived, reflecting a more than 20% increase compared to the same timeframe in September and October.

Meanwhile, Hainan, the southern tropical island province, continues to offer the most favorable visa-free entry policy in China. Since the start of this year, over 350,000 international tourists have entered Hainan without a visa, a year-on-year increase of over threefold, accounting for 85% of all foreign visitors to the island. Visa-free entry remains the primary method for foreigners to visit Hainan.

In southwestern China, Yunnan Province’s Mohan railway port, a key access point along the China-Laos Railway launched in April 2023, has seen over 33,000 foreign visitors this year, a 99.5% increase compared to the previous year. Among them, more than 9,500 entered visa-free, a remarkable tenfold growth year-on-year.

Between January and November 2024, China recorded approximately 29.22 million inbound foreign visits, an 86.2% increase from the previous year. Of these, 17.45 million were visa-free entries, showcasing an impressive 123.3% year-on-year growth.