Wu Yuqi (third from right) of the Phoenix International Airport Station of Immigration Inspection hands the passport back to a foreign visitor at an inspection counter on February 5, 2026. (Photo: Huang Lanlan/GT)
With the continued optimization of China's visa-free policy and the measures to boost consumption, both inbound and outbound travel is showing positive growth during the Spring Festival holiday. A number of the country's large passenger inspection ports are expected to see peak traffic flows.
The average daily number of inbound and outbound trips during this year's Spring Festival holiday is expected to surpass 2.05 million, marking a 14.1-percent increase compared to the same period last year, data from National Immigration Administration (NIA) showed on Thursday.
The upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on February 17, marks the first day of this Chinese Lunar New Year.
Major international airports will see a significant rise in passenger traffic. Outbound travel peaks are expected to come around February 15, while inbound travel peaks will likely occur between February 22 and 23.
During this holiday period, the average daily numbers of inbound and outbound passengers at major airports such as Shanghai Pudong International Airport will see 104,000 passengers, followed by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport of 57,000, and Beijing Capital International Airport of 43,000, the NIA said.
Passenger flow at the land ports adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao is expected to remain relatively stable, with peaks anticipated to come around February 18 and 19. Shenzhen's Luohu land port will see 209,000 passenger crossings, followed by Futian port of expected 182,000 passenger crossings, NIA said.