CGTN
Overseas tourists take photos at a glass-bottomed bridge at Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, central China's Hunan Province, August 10, 2024. /CFP
The number of foreign visitors to China soared 129.9 percent year on year to 17.25 million in the first seven months of this year thanks to a series of measures facilitating the entry of foreigners, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Monday.
The foreign visitors are estimated to have boosted consumption to over 100 billion yuan (about $14 billion) in total, with a per capita daily average consumption volume of nearly 3,500 yuan, said Liu Haitao, NIA deputy head, at a press conference.
During the period, 846,000 port visas were issued to foreign nationals who had an urgent need to enter China but did not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates abroad, Liu said. The figure rose 183 percent year on year.
Regarding port visas, the NIA said foreign nationals can submit applications in advance to the port visa authorities by themselves or through inviting parties, or apply on site upon arrival at ports in China.
From January to July, China recorded a total of 341 million cross-border trips, up 62.34 percent from the same period last year, Liu added.
The NIA noted last month that the 72-/144-hour visa-free transit policy has played an important role in the country's high-level opening up, facilitating the exchange of people between China and other countries, and promoting exchanges and cooperation. It pledged to continue to improve and optimize the policy and welcome foreign visitors with a more open mind.
(With input from Xinhua)