Beijing’s international ports experienced a significant uptick in passenger traffic during the recent Spring Festival holiday period, recording approximately 566,000 inbound and outbound movements between February 15 and February 22, 2026. This represents an 11 percent increase compared to the same festive period last year, according to official data released by the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
The travel surge reached its peak on February 22, when border authorities processed more than 73,000 crossings in a single day. The heightened activity has been largely attributed to China’s recently implemented visa facilitation measures, including temporary visa-free entry privileges extended to ordinary passport holders from several nations including Canada and the United Kingdom during the holiday season.
Foreign national entries showed particularly robust growth, with Beijing ports handling 101,000 international trips—a striking 42.3 percent year-on-year increase. Notably, over 30,000 of these entries were made under visa-exemption or temporary entry permit arrangements, doubling the figures from the previous year’s Spring Festival period.
Meanwhile, outbound travel enthusiasm among mainland Chinese residents remained strong, with more than 437,000 travelers passing through Beijing’s ports. Regional destinations including South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore continued to rank as preferred choices for holidaymakers seeking nearby international experiences.