Beijing Sees Highest Cross-Border Travel Since 2020, Driven by Visa Exemption Policies

Local authorities in Beijing announced that the municipality's border inspection stations recorded over 20 million entry and exit trips by travelers up until Saturday morning, marking the highest figure since 2020.

Record-Breaking Traffic:

• Total Crossings: This figure is 1.1 times the level recorded for the entirety of 2024.

• Foreigners' Share: Foreign travelers accounted for approximately 30% of the total.

• Foreign Nationals' Entry: More than 6 million cross-border trips were made by foreign nationals, a 34.5% increase compared to the same period last year.

• Visa Exemption Impact: Visa exemption policies facilitated the entry of about 1.86 million people, representing 1.9 times the number recorded in 2024, and accounting for 60% of total foreign national entries.

Travel Purposes and Facilitation Measures:

• Diverse Goals: Statistics show that nearly half of these foreign passengers traveled for tourism, while the remainder were on business trips or visiting friends/family.

• China's Policies: China's continuous efforts to improve visa exemption policies contributed to this increase. By the end of last month, China had mutual visa exemption agreements with 29 countries and granted unilateral visa-free entry to citizens of 48 countries (covering Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East).

• Easing Procedures: Beijing's border inspection station implemented multiple measures to facilitate clearance, including allowing foreign visitors to fill out their arrival cards online in advance and adding guiding signs at ports.