Shanghai sees inbound travel surge in early 2026

Shanghai has recorded strong growth in inbound foreign travelers so far this year, with nearly 700,000 entries between Jan 1 and Feb 23, up 20.9 percent year-on-year.

South Korea, Russia, the United States and Thailand are the primary sources of those inbound passengers.

Visa-free arrivals, including those under the transit visa-free policy, totaled about 452,000, accounting for 64.6 percent of the total.

Shanghai's immigration authorities processed about 6.14 million cross-border trips during the same period.

Over the Spring Festival holiday from Feb 15 to 23, Shanghai ports saw surging passenger flows, with cross-border trips exceeding 1.16 million.

The city's two major airports — Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport — handled about 1.09 million inbound and outbound trips, while cruise ports recorded around 66,000 trips.

Notably, daily cross-border trips exceeded 160,000 on Feb 22, setting a new single-day record.

To streamline the entry experience, China has introduced online arrival card submission for foreign visitors, and a 24-hour immigration service hotline is available at 12367.

This year, China has expanded its visa-free travel list to include Canada and the United Kingdom, with the policy taking effect for their citizens on Feb 17.