Upcoming Spring Festival to see surge in inbound, outbound trips

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to experience a surge in inbound and outbound trips during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, returning to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Sunday.

It is estimated that the Chinese mainland will see a daily average of 1.8 million inbound and outbound passenger trips during the holiday period from Feb. 10 to 17 this year, an increase of approximately 3.3 times compared to last year, according to the NIA.

The NIA estimates that the peak of passenger flow at major international airport ports will occur between Feb. 8 and 11, as well as Feb. 16 and 17, while the land ports adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao are expected to peak from Feb. 11 to 15.

To facilitate efficient entries and exits during the holiday, border inspection agencies have been instructed to enhance the monitoring of passenger flows and release relevant information in a timely manner for travelers' reference.

Sufficient personnel were deployed to ensure that Chinese citizens pass through customs queues in no more than 30 minutes, added the NIA.

Additionally, border inspection agencies were asked to coordinate with relevant units and local departments to manage traveler diversion, extend customs clearance hours, and provide traffic support during peak hours.