On September 17, reporters learned from the Haikou Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station that Hainan’s "cross-border travel" market continues to heat up. During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the number of inbound and outbound travelers in Hainan reached 16,000, an 85% increase compared to the same period last year. On average, more than 5,900 people passed through daily, with a peak of over 7,600 on a single day. Ports across the region saw bustling two-way traffic.
Glamorous lighting of buildings along the Binhai Avenue at night. Photo by Li Tianping, Hainan Daily.
To manage the holiday travel surge, the Haikou Border Inspection Station issued timely passenger flow forecasts and response measures. Coordination with other port inspection units was enhanced, and real-time monitoring of passenger flow was implemented. The station also optimized its staffing, opened additional inspection channels early, added more signage, and introduced convenience measures to minimize wait times, ensuring smooth and orderly port operations.
Rao Jun, Deputy Director of the Haikou Border Inspection Office, explained that with policies such as visa-free entry for visitors from 59 countries and 144-hour visa-free stays for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macau entering Hainan, combined with the continued recovery and expansion of international flights, the number of foreign visitors for tourism, cultural exchanges, and business negotiations has significantly increased.
So far this year, Haikou Border Inspection has processed more than 1.32 million inbound and outbound travelers, including 648,000 inbound and 672,000 outbound passengers, marking a nearly fivefold year-on-year increase. Foreign travelers entering Hainan on visa-free policies have grown by approximately eight times compared to last year.