Chinese airports experience surging passenger traffic during summer peak

Tourists take photos at the "desert gate" scenic area in Alaer, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 12, 2025. The "desert gate" scenic area, covering an area of 14 hectares, receives an average of 600,000 visits annually. (Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

China's airports are witnessing robust growth in both inbound and outbound passenger traffic amid the summer travel boom, fueled by surging travel demand.

As of Wednesday, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport's overseas passenger volume exceeded 2 million, reaching the 2 million target 50 days ahead of schedule compared with 2024 and ranking ninth among cities nationwide, the airport told the Global Times on Thursday.

Since the summer travel season began, the airport's international passenger volume has shown strong growth, with a significant year-on-year increase of 28 percent, the company said.

As of Wednesday, the total number of people entering and leaving Beijing's ports this year exceeded 13 million, an increase of 18.7 percent year-on-year. Among them, the number of foreigners entering and leaving the country reached 3.677 million, an increase of nearly 36 percent year-on-year, accounting for 28.3 percent of the total number of people entering and leaving the country, CCTV reported.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport has reported sustained high passenger flows since the summer travel season began in July. According to the airport's information, it handled a total of 304,000 inbound and outbound passengers from July 1 to 31, a monthly record since the resumption of international and regional flights, reported thepaper.cn on August 7.

China has experienced a notable rise in inbound tourists, largely attributable to its liberalized visa policies, particularly the significant expansion of its visa-exemption programs.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China has introduced unilateral visa-free entry and mutual visa exemption agreements with 75 countries as part of its efforts to streamline visa rules and promote international exchanges, and the number of countries eligible for visa-free transit to China has increased to 55, while the number of entry ports has expanded to 60 across 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Many foreign visitors have gained a true and full understanding of China through their firsthand experiences, said Wang Zhizhong, head of the National Immigration Administration (NIA), at a press conference on July 30.

While Beijing and Shanghai continue to see a rebound in international visitors, many foreign tourists are now exploring beyond traditional hot spots, opting for smaller cities and boutique B&Bs. This shift has propelled lesser-known destinations into the spotlight.

This summer, international travelers have visited 253 Chinese cities, with accommodations in Yunnan's Baoshan and Xinjiang's Turpan experiencing particularly strong demand. Bookings in both more than doubled year-on-year, data that Tujia, a Chinese online platform for booking shared accommodations, sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

China saw a surge in inbound consumption following a refund-upon-purchase service model, allowing eligible tourists to receive tax refunds instantly at retail outlets rather than waiting until they leave the country.

In June and July, the number and amount of payments made by foreigners in China by binding international bank cards through WeChat Pay nearly tripled year-on-year, WeChat Pay said in a note sent to the Global Times on Thursday.

Foreign nationals made a total of 38.05 million trips to or from China in the first six months of the year, which was an increase of 30.2 percent year-on-year, the NIA said on July 16. Of the trips, 13.64 million were visa-free entries, an increase of 53.9 percent, the NIA said.