China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) says 6.71 million inbound and outbound passenger movements were processed at land, sea and air checkpoints between 25 and 27 September—the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival public holiday. Average daily traffic stood at 2.236 million, peaking at 2.342 million on 26 September. The breakdown highlights how quickly international mobility is returning: mainland residents made 3.206 million trips (+5.3 % year-on-year), while Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents accounted for 2.775 million movements (+27.7 %). Foreign nationals recorded 728,000 crossings, up 37.7 % on last year; 247,000 of those travellers entered visa-free, underscoring the government’s strategy of using unilateral visa-exemption schemes to revive inbound tourism and business travel. Border-inspection officers also cleared 309,000 transport vehicles (+8.6 %). The figures are the strongest holiday numbers since China lifted its final pandemic restrictions in early 2024 and will reassure corporates that air and land connectivity is approaching pre-COVID capacity ahead of the longer National Day “Golden Week” that starts on 1 October. For mobility managers the data signal that visa-free entry is gaining traction—particularly for short-term business visits—and that travellers should prepare for crowded airports and land crossings at the next peak. Companies should advise employees to arrive early, use e-gates where eligible, and monitor airline re-booking policies in case of congestion-related delays.
Source: ECNS (China News Service)
