The National Immigration Administration released key data on immigration management work for the first half of 2024 on July 5th.From January to June,national immigration management agencies strengthened the innovation and integration of immigration management policies and systems,and provided precise services to support high-quality development with high-level openness.A total of 287 million entries and exits of personnel were inspected,a year-on-year increase of 70.9%.Among them,137 million were mainland residents,121 million were residents of Hong Kong,Macao,and Taiwan,and 29.22 million were foreigners.

The spokesperson for the National Immigration Administration reported at a press conference held on July 5th that in the first half of the year,14.635 million foreigners entered the country through various ports,a year-on-year increase of 152.7%.Of these,8.542 million entered through visa-free channels,accounting for 52%,with a year-on-year increase of 190.1%.The National Immigration Administration anticipates that the enthusiasm of foreigners coming to China will continue to rise in the second half of this year.

Data from Ctrip also shows that the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy is continuously driving the growth of inbound tourism.In the second quarter of 2024,the number of inbound tourism orders for overseas tourists from 54 countries enjoying the 144/72-hour transit visa-free policy increased by 28% compared to the first quarter.

It is reported that since January 2013,China has started to implement the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy.To date,the policy has been extended to 54 countries,including the United States,Canada,the United Kingdom,Spain,Japan,and others.Domestically,cities such as Changsha,Harbin,and Guilin have implemented the 72-hour transit visa-free policy,while 20 cities including Beijing,Tianjin,Shanghai,Nanjing,Guangzhou,Shenzhen,Chongqing,Chengdu,Xi'an,and Kunming have implemented the 144-hour transit visa-free policy.

This policy has attracted many foreign tourists,especially travel bloggers,to travel in China.

Ctrip data indicates that in the second quarter of this year,compared to the first quarter,the number of inbound tourism orders for tourists from the 54 countries enjoying the transit visa-free policy increased by 28%.Among them,there were more inbound tourists from South Korea,Singapore (which has had a mutual visa-free agreement with China since February 9th),Japan,Australia,the United Kingdom,the United States,Russia,Germany,Spain,France,and other countries.Among the main inbound tourism countries,Greece,Brazil,Hungary,Russia,Canada,and other countries showed a higher growth rate compared to the first quarter.

Inbound tourism in 23 domestic cities has also benefited from this policy.Ctrip data shows that in the second quarter,the number of inbound tourism orders in 23 cities increased by 42% compared to the first quarter.Cities such as Shanghai,Shenzhen,Guangzhou,Beijing,Hangzhou,Chengdu,Chongqing,Xiamen,Xi'an,and Qingdao had more inbound tourists,while Qinhuangdao,Xi'an,Beijing,Chengdu,Chongqing,and other cities showed a higher growth rate compared to the first quarter.

In view of the positive value of the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy,many provinces and cities are also accelerating the implementation or improvement of this policy.Not long ago,Zhengzhou expressed its intention to accelerate the implementation of the 144-hour visa-free policy for transit passengers at the airport; the Yangtze River Delta region will promote the full implementation of the 144-hour transit visa-free policy for overseas personnel.In April,the Sichuan and Chongqing regions stated that they would jointly implement the 144-hour transit visa-free policy for overseas personnel.In March,Anhui also stated that it is striving to implement the 144-hour transit visa-free policy for overseas personnel.

The visa-free policy,represented by the 72/144-hour transit visa-free policy,continues to expand its coverage.On the basis of extending the unilateral visa-free validity period for 12 countries including France and Germany,from July 1st,China officially implemented unilateral visa-free policies for New Zealand,Australia,and Poland.Reflected in the growth of inbound tourism,Ctrip data shows that in the first half of this year,domestic inbound tourism orders increased by more than 1.6 times year-on-year.

At present,major domestic tourism companies are actively exploring business opportunities in inbound tourism and promoting the optimization of products and services such as payment,accommodation,travel,and scenic spot tickets.