China is preparing for a significant rise in cross-border travel during the upcoming May Day holiday. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced on Monday that an average of 2.15 million daily border crossings is expected during the five-day break. This marks a 27 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Travel activity is expected to peak on May 1 and May 5.
In Beijing, the General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection estimates that 310,000 people will pass through the city’s ports over the holiday.
Major international airports in China are also preparing for increased passenger traffic. Shanghai Pudong International Airport is expected to handle the highest volume, with around 101,000 border crossings each day. It will be followed by Guangzhou Baiyun with 50,000 and Beijing Capital with 45,000.
Travel between the Chinese mainland and the regions of Hong Kong and Macao is also on the rise. The May Day holiday is likely to push these numbers even higher, helped by a series of major events planned in these areas.
In Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, the Luohu and Futian ports are expected to see average daily traffic of 250,000 and 220,000 people respectively. Overall, Shenzhen’s ports are projected to handle a daily average of 930,000 travelers during the holiday. Authorities expect the busiest day to see over 1 million crossings.
To manage the expected surge, the NIA has called on border authorities to monitor traffic closely. They have also asked for real-time updates to help travelers and recommended deploying enough staff to keep average wait times at crossings under 30 minutes.
The May Day holiday is one of China’s busiest travel periods. Millions of people take trips to visit family, explore the country, or travel overseas. This travel boom boosts several industries, including transportation, tourism, and retail.
To attract more international visitors, China has introduced several new measures. These include expanding visa-free policies, easing visa application procedures, and offering instant tax refunds for foreign travelers leaving the country.
Currently, China allows visa-free entry for citizens from 38 countries. It also offers a visa-free transit policy lasting up to 240 hours for travelers from 54 nations.
These efforts appear to be working. In the first quarter of this year, 9.2 million foreign nationals entered China. That is a 40.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Of those travelers, 71.3 percent entered under visa-free policies.
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