China recorded a historic 369 million inbound and outbound cross-border trips during the first half of 2026, marking a 10.8 percent year-on-year increase and setting a new record as the country continues to reap the benefits of expanded visa-free travel policies and the steady recovery of international mobility.
According to Xinhua, citing data released by the National Immigration Administration (NIA), the surge was driven largely by a sharp rise in foreign visitor arrivals under China’s expanded visa-free entry programme.
The NIA said visa-free entries by foreign nationals climbed 30.6 percent year-on-year to more than 17.8 million, accounting for 77.7 percent of all foreign arrivals into the country during the six-month period. The administration also reported that mainland Chinese residents made 176 million cross-border trips, while residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan recorded 147 million crossings, representing year-on-year increases of 10.7 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively. Foreign nationals accounted for more than 45.9 million cross-border trips, up 20.6 percent from the corresponding period in 2025.
The record figures reflect the impact of China’s efforts to simplify international travel and stimulate tourism, business and cultural exchanges through more liberal visa policies. China currently grants unilateral visa-free entry to citizens of 50 countries, while nationals of 55 countries are eligible to enter through the country’s 240-hour visa-free transit programme, which is available at 65 designated ports of entry. Tourism and aviation analysts say the expanded visa facilitation measures have made China increasingly accessible to international travellers, contributing to stronger visitor arrivals and increased cross-border economic activity.
The latest figures also underscore China’s growing role in global tourism and international travel as the country continues to strengthen connectivity through policy reforms designed to encourage inbound tourism, investment and business travel.
