China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) expects more than 2.05 million inbound and outbound trips every day during the nine-day Spring Festival holiday that starts on 17 February (chinadaily.com.cn). That would be 14 percent higher than last year and marks the busiest Lunar New-Year travel peak since borders fully reopened.
Officials attribute the surge to an expanded unilateral visa-waiver list covering 45 countries, a 240-hour transit-visa programme at 65 entry points, and domestic “consumption incentives” aimed at luring overseas shoppers. They have pledged to deploy extra officers, open more inspection counters and keep e-gates running around the clock at major airports and land crossings to avoid bottlenecks (chinadaily.com.cn).
![China Forecasts Record 2 Million Daily Border Crossings During Spring Festival]()
For businesses, the projection signals crowded airports but also renewed opportunities for face-to-face meetings, trade-fair attendance and assignment kick-offs that were impossible three years ago. Travel managers are advised to build additional buffer time into itineraries, remind staff to pre-register health declarations on the “China Immigration” mini-programme, and watch for ad-hoc flight changes as carriers add capacity.
The NIA’s notice also hints at differentiated peaks: outbound traffic is set to crest on the first holiday day (Sunday 17 Feb), while the inbound tide is forecast for 22-23 February as overseas Chinese and tourists return. Companies scheduling rotational crews may wish to stagger start dates accordingly.
Officials attribute the surge to an expanded unilateral visa-waiver list covering 45 countries, a 240-hour transit-visa programme at 65 entry points, and domestic “consumption incentives” aimed at luring overseas shoppers. They have pledged to deploy extra officers, open more inspection counters and keep e-gates running around the clock at major airports and land crossings to avoid bottlenecks (chinadaily.com.cn).
For businesses, the projection signals crowded airports but also renewed opportunities for face-to-face meetings, trade-fair attendance and assignment kick-offs that were impossible three years ago. Travel managers are advised to build additional buffer time into itineraries, remind staff to pre-register health declarations on the “China Immigration” mini-programme, and watch for ad-hoc flight changes as carriers add capacity.
The NIA’s notice also hints at differentiated peaks: outbound traffic is set to crest on the first holiday day (Sunday 17 Feb), while the inbound tide is forecast for 22-23 February as overseas Chinese and tourists return. Companies scheduling rotational crews may wish to stagger start dates accordingly.
Source: Xinhua via China Daily
