Shanghai recorded a significant increase in international trips in the first quarter of 2025, with the total number of inbound and outbound travelers rising 27 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection.

The surge comes as a result of China's continued efforts to facilitate international travel by optimizing visa-free policies and other measures.

In the first quarter, more than 2.65 million foreign nationals entered or exited China via Shanghai's ports of entry. Of these, nearly 2.42 million traveled through the city's airports, a 49-percent year-on-year increase.

"Thanks to visa-free policies, we've seen a remarkable rise in foreign nationals entering and exiting through Hongqiao and Pudong airports in the first quarter," said Bai Yejian, an official from the command center at the Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection.

Bai added that over 50 percent of all inbound foreign travelers at the two airports were making use of the visa-free policy, and that around 80 percent were visiting for tourism or business.

Shanghai's cruise ports also experienced an uptick in foreign arrivals.

On March 16, AIDAstella from AIDA Cruises and Spectrum of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International docked at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, bringing nearly 4,800 foreign tourists in a single day — the highest daily number of foreign arrivals since the terminal opened in 2011.

To further streamline the travel experience for international passengers, Shanghai ports have introduced a series of measures to enhance immigration and customs clearance procedures.

These include faster inspection services, improved arrival card and declaration processes, and expanded multilingual support.

Source: thepaper.cn