The number of foreign visitors to China jumped 129.9 percent year on year to 17.25 million in the first seven months of the year, an official with the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said Monday.
Foreign visitors are estimated to have increased consumption by more than 100 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars) in total, with an average daily consumption volume per person of nearly 3,500 yuan, Liu Haitao, deputy director of the NNA, said at a press conference.
During the period, 846,000 port visas were issued to foreign nationals who urgently needed to enter China but did not have enough time to apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates abroad, Liu said. The figure increased by 183 percent year on year.
Regarding port visas, the ANI said foreign nationals could submit applications in advance to port visa authorities, by themselves or through inviting parties, or apply on the spot upon arrival at ports in China.
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.
