Episode Details

More than 350,000 international visitors entered Hainan province visa-free last year, a 283 percent increase year-on-year, according to Yu Wenzhong, deputy director of the Office of the Free Trade Port Working Committee of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee.

中共海南省委自由贸易港工作委员会办公室副主任于文仲介绍，去年海南省免签入境的国际游客超过35万人次，同比增长283%。

Yu shared the data during a news conference during Hainan's annual sessions of people's congress and political consultative conference on Wednesday in Haikou, the provincial capital. The official attributed the spike to the nation's optimized and enhanced visa-free entry policy for foreign visitors.  

1月15日，在海南省省会海口举行的海南省人民代表大会和政治协商会议年度会议的新闻发布会上，于文仲分享了这一数据。他表示，这一激增得益于国家对境外游客免签入境政策的优化升级。

On Feb 9 last year, the National Immigration Administration announced the new visa-free entry policy for citizens from 59 countries who want to visit Hainan, expanding the purposes of such visits from tourism to include short-term stays for business, trade, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions and sports competitions.

2024年2月9日，国家移民管理局宣布新的免签入境政策，允许来自59个国家的公民免签入境海南，并将免签入境海南事由从旅游扩展到可短期停留的商贸、探亲、医疗、会展、体育竞技等。

Later, on July 30, the administration announced the implementation of a 144-hour visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering Hainan from Hong Kong and Macao. According to the policy, citizens from countries with diplomatic relations with China and holding ordinary passports can enjoy visa-free travel to Hainan for up to 144 hours after arriving in either of the special administrative regions.

随后，7月30日，国家移民管理局宣布实施港澳地区外国旅游团入境海南144小时免签政策。根据该政策，与中国建交国家的公民持普通护照到任一特别行政区后，可享受不超过144小时的海南免签旅游。

On Dec 17, the administration further relaxed and optimized transit visa-free policy, extending the duration of such stays for foreign nationals to 240 hours. Hainan became a beneficiary of this policy, with Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport designated as additional entry ports. Eligible overseas travelers transiting through Hainan are permitted to engage in activities across the entire province during their stay.

12月17日，国家移民管理局进一步放宽和优化了过境免签政策，将外国人的停留时间延长至240小时。海口美兰国际机场和三亚凤凰国际机场被指定为新增的入境口岸，海南因此从该政策中受益。符合条件的海外过境旅客在海南停留期间可在全省范围内活动。