593,000 travelers pass through Shanghai ports over May Day holiday

During the May Day holiday, Shanghai's border inspection authorities handled 593,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips and 4,091 aircraft and vessel arrivals and departures, according to the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection.

Of all outbound travelers, 159,000 were Chinese mainland residents, accounting for 57.1 percent of total departures via Shanghai ports.

Spring breaks for primary and secondary schools in the regions surrounding Shanghai fueled a surge in short-distance cross-border family trips, with South Korea and Thailand among the most popular destinations.

China's visa-free policies also contributed to a rise in inbound tourism. Shanghai ports recorded 77,000 inbound foreign traveler trips over the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 2.3 percent. Of these, 50,000 travelers entered under visa-free arrangements, representing 64.7 percent of all inbound foreign trips.

During the holiday, Shanghai's cruise ports handled more than 19,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips. Many international visitors now choose to fly into Shanghai and transfer to cruise ships to begin their journeys, a travel pattern that has grown in popularity and become a new highlight of Shanghai's inbound tourism.

To enhance efficiency, border inspection authorities strengthened duty coordination, opened additional inspection counters, and implemented facilitation measures to reduce waiting times throughout the holiday period.