BUSINESS

China’s Holiday Travel Gets a Visa-Free Boost

Published: Apr. 9, 2026 11:51 a.m. GMT+8

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Cruise passengers go through entry procedures at the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Shanghai on March 29. Photo: VCG

China recorded nearly 6.8 million cross-border trips during the Qingming Festival holiday, driven by a surge in visa-free visitors and shifting outbound travel preferences that crowned South Korea as the top destination.

The daily average of cross-border trips reached 2.26 million during the holiday period from Saturday to Monday, a 9.1% increase from the same period last year, according to the National Immigration Administration. Foreigners made 843,000 inbound and outbound trips, jumping 20.9% year-on-year, with visa-free entries surging 30.7% to 319,000. Outbound travel dynamics also shifted, as Southeast Asia retained its dominance while traditional favorite Japan fell out of the top three destinations.

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China saw 6.8M cross-border trips during Qingming (avg 2.26M/day, +9.1% YoY); foreigners 843K trips (+20.9%), visa-free entries 319K (+30.7%).
Outbound shift: South Korea top destination (flights +12.4% to 980); Japan flights -50% to 520 amid warnings.
Inbound surge from HK/Macao/Taiwan (+19.5%), visa-free nations; Europe up, cultural sites like Great Wall popular.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

Flight Master: Flight Master, an aviation data provider, reported for April 1-Monday: China-South Korea flights up 12.4% YoY to 980; China-Japan flights down >50% to 520; East Asia flights fell 23.3% YoY; West Asia flights declined 36.7% YoY due to regional tensions.

VariFlight: VariFlight data shows 13,000 passenger flights between Chinese mainland and overseas destinations from April 1-6, up 2% YoY. Average one-way ticket price rose 20% to 1,670 yuan ($244).

Qunar.com Inc.: Qunar.com Inc. reported that South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia had the highest ticket volumes for three-to-four-hour flights from China, with China-Malaysia flight volume up 29.4% year-on-year.

Fliggy: Fliggy reported exponential growth for long-haul destinations such as Tanzania, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Fiji, and Sri Lanka.

Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.: Tongcheng Travel Holdings Ltd.’s platform HopeGoo reported that flight bookings from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland surged nearly fourfold, and hotel bookings jumped eightfold during the Qingming Festival holiday.

Trip.com: Trip.com data showed inbound travel orders nearly doubled during Qingming Festival. Guangdong topped destinations at 30% of orders. Visa-free countries' orders grew 3x faster, attraction bookings 7x. Spain orders doubled; spending from Russia/Spain rose >150%, Italy/Netherlands 80-150%. Western tourists favored cultural sites (50-60% of tickets), like Palace Museum and Great Wall.

AI generated, for reference only