China sees 2.7 pct increase in cross-border trips during Dragon Boat Festival holiday

China recorded nearly 5.91 million cross-border trips during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which concluded on Monday, marking a 2.7 percent increase year on year, according to data released Tuesday by the National Immigration Administration.

The busiest travel day was June 1, with cross-border trips reaching nearly 2.09 million.

An aerial drone photo taken on June 1, 2025 shows tourists enjoying a boat tour in Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province. People enjoy the 3-day holiday of the Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival which falls on May 31 this year, via various activities across the country. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)

A significant rise was seen in foreign arrivals benefiting from China's visa-free policies. A total of 231,000 foreign nationals entered the country visa-free during the holiday, marking a 59.4 percent year-on-year increase.

This year's Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, was celebrated on May 31 and the public holiday ran from May 31 to June 2.

China has been steadily refining its visa policies to promote greater cross-border mobility. Since late 2023, a series of traveler-friendly measures have been introduced. The country now grants unilateral visa-free access to citizens of 43 countries and allows visa-free transit for up to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries. 

（Xinhua）