Shanghai handles 7.43 million inbound, outbound passengers in summer travel season

The Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection handled a total of 7.43 million inbound and outbound passenger trips during the summer travel season, a year-on-year increase of 14.7 percent.

From July 1 to Aug 31, the average daily number of inbound and outbound passengers going through Shanghai's ports reached 120,000.

With the ongoing recovery of international flights and a rebound in the tourism market, various types of travelers, including those on family trips and student study tours, contributed to strong passenger flows at both Pudong and Hongqiao airports.

During this period, residents from the Chinese mainland accounted for over 2.38 million outbound trips, representing 67.4 percent of the total outbound travelers. Popular destinations included Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand.

The cruise market also showed strong performance. A total of 91 cruise ships berthed and departed, carrying 408,000 passengers, a year-on-year increase of 28.3 percent.

Family trips, graduating students, and senior travelers were among the main passenger groups, with family travel particularly prominent.

Thanks to China’s expanded visa exemption policies and streamlined immigration procedures, travel to China by international visitors remained popular.

Nearly 800,000 international visitors entered China through Shanghai, up 34.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Among them, 411,000 took advantage of visa-free entry or the 240-hour visa-free transit policies, surging 218 percent year-on-year and accounting for over 51 percent of all inbound international travelers.

To ensure efficient and smooth clearance, Shanghai immigration authorities have expanded the 12367 service hotline capacity, providing 24/7 support for inquiries from both Chinese and international travelers.

At airports, a special inspection process for international visitors was implemented, along with in-flight and online pre-arrival card submission.

For cruises with a high proportion of international tourists, pre-arrival inspections were conducted onboard to enable immediate disembarkation upon docking.