Hunan Sees Over 150,000 Inbound and Outbound Trips in July

Hunan's ports handled more than 150,000 inbound and outbound trips in July, a record high in monthly exit-entry travel since 2023 and a year-on-year increase of 84.5%, according to the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
 
"Thanks to visa facilitation measures such as mutual visa exemption and unilateral visa-free policies, increasing air routes and flights, and more convenient payment services, the number of inbound trips by foreign nationals continues to rise," said Wang Ying, deputy director of the Border Inspection Department of the Hunan General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection. Wang added that foreign tourists accounted for 43.4% of Hunan's total cross-border travelers, a year-on-year increase of 64.6%, and about 90% of them came to Hunan for sightseeing. South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand became Hunan's largest sources of inbound tourists. About 18% of the foreign tourists enjoyed visa-free access, coming from 27 countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Australia, Germany, France, and Switzerland.

"There has been a boom in outbound travel and study tours by Chinese mainland residents as the summer vacation started," said Wang Ying, noting that in July, the number of exit-entry trips made by Chinese mainland residents increased by 103.4% year on year, and the top three outbound destinations were Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Flight data shows that since July, Changsha airport has operated international passenger flights reaching 13 destinations in 8 countries including the United Kingdom, Kenya, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Vietnam, with an average of 138 flights per week. In particular, the January-July period recorded the highest number of flights to and from Thailand, accounting for 42% of the total international flights. Zhangjiajie airport has processed international passenger flights reaching 10 destinations in 5 countries and regions including South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, and China's Hong Kong SAR, with an average of 78 flights per week. The period registered the highest number of flights to and from South Korea, accounting for 67.8%.
 
Wang Ying said that in order to cope with the summer travel peak, Changsha and Zhangjiajie entry and exit frontier inspection stations have adjusted duty rosters to ensure sufficient working staff and smooth customs clearance. Meanwhile, the 12367 immigration hotline offers 24/7 Chinese and English services.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn