Record-Breaking Cross-Border Travel During Spring Festival: China’s Strong Surge Toward Greater Openness and Tourism Revival

Beijing – According to official data released at the end of the Chinese Spring Festival holiday period, China recorded a total of 17.796 million cross-border trips this year. The figures clearly reflect the country’s expanding openness policies, smoother mobility arrangements, and the strong recovery of its tourism sector.

The National Immigration Administration announced on Tuesday that the average daily number of cross-border trips during the holiday reached 1.977 million, marking a 10.1 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

The average daily number of cross-border trips made by mainland residents rose by 10.2 percent year on year, while trips made by residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan increased by 8 percent. This demonstrates significant momentum in both outbound and inbound travel activities.

An even sharper increase was seen in the number of international visitors. During the holiday period, 1.313 million international travelers entered China, with the daily average rising by 21.8 percent compared to the previous year. Among them, 460,000 visitors entered under visa-free policies, representing a 28.5 percent increase over the daily average during last year’s holiday.

As social media trends such as “becoming Chinese” continue to gain popularity, traveling to China to celebrate the Spring Festival has emerged as a new trend among international tourists. Analysts attribute this growth to the expansion of visa-free countries, improved tax refund policies, and upgraded inbound tourism services.

China has expanded its unilateral visa-free access to 50 countries. Ordinary passport holders from Canada and the United Kingdom have also been included in this policy since February 17, the first day of the Chinese New Year.

In addition, the number of entry ports covered under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy reached 65 last year, further streamlining and facilitating travel for international visitors.

Overall, the sharp increase in cross-border travel during this year’s Spring Festival holiday serves as strong evidence of China’s commitment to greater openness, smoother travel facilitation, and deepening global connectivity. By advancing tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges in parallel, China is signaling a new momentum in strengthening its ties with the world.