China News Service, Haikou, February 23 (Chen Yizun and Guo Ruichen) During the first Spring Festival holiday after the Hainan Free Trade Port was closed, the flow of inbound and outbound passengers increased significantly. The Haikou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station disclosed on the 23rd that as of 17:00 that day, Hainan’s border inspection agencies had inspected and released more than 86,000 people during the Spring Festival holiday this year, and the passenger flow increased by 43.3% compared with last year’s Spring Festival holiday.
On February 23, the police on duty at the Phoenix Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station quickly completed the border inspection procedures for passengers passing customs. Photo by Meng Xushun
According to statistics from the Haikou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, during the Spring Festival holiday, the average daily entry and exit personnel at the Haikou Meilan International Airport port was approximately 5,300, a year-on-year increase of 22.7%; the daily average entry and exit personnel at the Sanya Phoenix International Airport port was approximately 3,400, a year-on-year increase of 54.9%.
Border inspection sources said that tourists from Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Singapore and other countries have become the main source of inbound tourists in Hainan during the Spring Festival.
On the same day, the German tourists Müller and his family walked into the departure hall of Sanya Phoenix International Airport carrying duty-free off-island goods and small Chinese New Year gifts, preparing to take a flight back to Berlin via Hong Kong. "From entry to return, the entire trip was very smooth."
In order to cope with the peak of inbound and outbound passenger flow during the Spring Festival holiday, Meilan and Phoenix Entry-Exit Border Inspection Stations released peak passenger flow forecasts in advance, monitored changes in passenger flow in real time, and launched a series of convenient measures such as 24-hour direct transit without border inspection procedures, online application for foreigner entry cards, and online application for group travel visas to ensure efficient and smooth customs clearance for Chinese and foreign tourists.
After the island-wide border closure, Hainan continues to maintain the best visa-free policy system in the country. People from 86 countries can enter Hainan visa-free. The reasons for visa-free entry have been expanded from tourism to family visits, business, medical care, conferences and exhibitions, sports competitions and other fields. At the same time, Hainan has accelerated the opening up of shipping, and international passenger routes at the airport have covered core areas such as Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
In the view of border inspection personnel, the combination of "visa-free entry + open air traffic rights" has effectively expanded Hainan's "air corridor" for international exchanges. (over)
