CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- As China’s visa exemptions for France, Germany, Switzerland, etc., and China’s mutual visa exemption agreements signed with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Georgia, etc., took effect, the number of foreign travelers in Chongqing has increased, said the Chongqing Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection Station.

Data shows that in the first quarter, the Chongqing Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection Station conducted security checks on more than 384,000 outbound and inbound travelers, with over 3,200 international flights operated, up 287% and 158% respectively from last year.

A significant growth in the number of foreign travelers to Chongqing

To further promote people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries, boost the high-quality development of China, and enhance the level of opening up, China has extended its visa exemption policy to more foreign countries. In the first quarter of 2024, nearly 30,000 foreign travelers entered China via the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, six times the number in the same period last year. More than 12,000 of these foreign travelers were visa-free, twice the number in the fourth quarter of 2023. More than half of foreign nationals came to China for tourism or business.

Flight HU428 arrived at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport from Milan at 4:00 on April 17. The police officers of the Chongqing Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection Station collected entry declaration materials from the arrivals and guided them to the corresponding entry inspection channels, quickly completing the identification verification, information registration, and other border control procedures for 133 arrivals, of which 17 are visa-free travelers from Italy, France, and Luxembourg.

Fabio Moretti, an Italian traveler visiting China to seek suppliers for his company, spoke highly of the visa-free policy implemented by China, saying that the visa-free policy leaves out several formalities in visa application and makes customs clearance at the border inspection more convenient.

An increasing number of Chinese mainland residents travel abroad

Visa-free agreements signed between China and other countries not only attract more and more foreign travelers to China but also boost outbound travel in China. Miss Zhou, a passenger of Flight OQ2095 bound for Singapore, said on April 17, “The mutual visa-free travel exemption between Singapore and China enables me to spend a weekend with my family. Today, traveling to Singapore is as convenient as domestic travel.”

Chinese mainland residents leaving and returning to China via Chongqing airports reached 280,000 in the first quarter, about 3.3 times that of the same period last year. Most outbound travelers in China prefer short- and medium-distance travel to Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, China’s Hong Kong and Macao. Among these regions, Thailand, Singapore, China’s Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia are the most popular destinations for Chinese mainland residents. Travelers to these countries and regions accounted for half of the total number of Chinese mainland travelers.

In the future, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport will increase the air routes and flights to Moscow, Singapore, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Seattle, and other regions so as to provide Chinese mainland travelers with more travel options. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)