China’s 240-hour visa-free transit program has greatly increased the number of visits by foreigners since its implementation 12 months ago.

The latest statistics from the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show that since the official launch of the program last December, 40.6 million foreign nationals have entered China through various ports nationwide, representing a 27.2 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, the number of travelers benefiting from the 240-hour transit visa exemption policy has grown by 60.8 percent year on year.

As national entry hubs, the airports in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have tapped into the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, seeing remarkable growth in foreign passenger traffic.

Beijing recorded over 3.4 million international tourist arrivals, 55 percent of whom benefited from the program. Shanghai welcomed 5.346 million international travelers, 56 percent of whom benefited from the program. Guangzhou recorded over 3.2 million international visitors, over 57 percent of whom entered without a visa under the program.

Ports covered by the program in other regions of China saw even greater booms of foreign arrivals.

The number of foreign visitors entering east China's Xiamen City under visa-free program has surged over threefold, while Liaoning in northeast China saw a 5.7-fold increase. In central China's Hunan Province, the number of visa-free foreign visitors to Changsha and Zhangjiajie in the past 12 months exceeded the total of the preceding nine years.

"The optimization of the visa-free transit policy has better accommodated the diverse needs of foreign travelers. Many of them came to China for short-term weekend getaways or in-depth cross-province and cross-city tours. Visa-free entry has become a primary channel for foreign nationals visiting China for tourism and business," said Liu Jia, deputy head of NIA's foreigner management department.

"Since the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, the total number of inbound tourists has increased by 55 percent year on year, with the highest proportion of visitors staying for 4 to 7 days," said Liu Ting, PR director from a Chinese online trip agency.

Authorities across China have also spared no effort in facilitating customs clearance for foreigners.

Ports in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have established dedicated lanes and implemented measures such as "one-stop processing" and "online declaration." Shanghai has introduced electronic self-service terminals for declaration, complemented by multilingual services to ensure every arriving passenger feels welcomed.

"I think it's great. It makes us super easy. Particularly in business, you don't have months of advanced notice when you have to do work trips," said a traveler from the United States.

China officially extended the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours on Dec 17, 2024. Travelers from 55 eligible countries who meet certain criteria can enter China through 65 eligible ports in 24 provincial-level regions and stay in the country for up to 240 hours without a visa before heading to a third destination.