Foreign visitors are estimated to boost consumption by more than US$14 billion
The number of foreign visitors to China increased by 129.9 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of the year to 17.25 million, driven by a series of measures to facilitate the entry of foreigners, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) reported on Monday (Aug 19, 2024).
Foreign visitors are estimated to boost consumption by more than 100 billion yuan ($14 billion), with an average daily per capita consumption of nearly 3,500 yuan, Liu Haitao, deputy director of the NIA, told reporters in an interview.
During the period, 846,000 port visas were issued to foreigners who have an urgent need to enter China but do not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates overseas, Liu said. The number increased by 183 percent from the same period last year.
Regarding port visas, the NIA said foreigners can submit applications in advance to port visa authorities by themselves or through inviting parties, or apply on-site upon arrival at Chinese ports.
From January to July, China recorded a total of 341 million cross-border trips, an increase of 62.34 percent over the same period last year, Liu added.
With information from Xinhua.
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