The number of cross-border passenger trips via Shenzhen checkpoints with Hong Kong set a new single-day record of 887,000 Saturday, the Qixi Festival, surpassing the previous record of 882,800 set Aug. 4, according to statistics released by the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection on Sunday.
Among these, 487,000 were inbound travelers and 400,000 were outbound, showing an increasing demand for cross-border exchanges between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, especially when major performances or festivals are taking place.
From July 1, the start of the summer transport season, to Aug. 5, a total of 7.06 million travelers passed through the Huanggang and Futian checkpoints and the No. 1 Passage in the Futian Bonded Area. Among these, Futian Checkpoint recorded 5.43 million trips, marking a 12.3% year-on-year increase.
Recently, cross-border tourism has boomed due to the resumption of travel permit services for group travelers nationwide and the addition of individual travel cities for mainland travelers to Hong Kong and Macao this July. The opening of the Shenzhong Link at the end of July, the Paris Olympics, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, and China's unilateral visa-free agreements with multiple countries have also contributed to the boom.
Cross-border study tours, summer camps, family tours, and leisure travel between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have shown a steady growth trend.
An increasing number of international travelers have chosen to travel to or transit through Shenzhen since the introduction of policies like the 144-hour visa-free transit policy and measures to facilitate customs clearance, which has promoted cultural, economic, and trade exchanges between Shenzhen and the international community.
Statistics indicate that in the first half of 2024, the number of inbound and outbound travelers recorded at the Shenzhen airport reached 2.33 million, a 195.22% year-on-year increase.