The first half of 2025 saw Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport clock a 22.9 percent increase in foreign travellers and a 16.1 percent rise in international flights when compared with the same period in 2024, Guangdong media reports.
That equated to 8.19 million international passport holders passing through and 58,000 international flights taking off or landing between January and June. The surge was aided by Beijing’s loosening entry-exit rules for foreigners, which now allows citizens of more than 40 countries to visit the mainland visa-free and dozens more to spend up to 240 hours there in transit.
Overall, Guangzhou’s airport experienced a 9.2 percent increase in passenger throughput and a 7 percent rise in flights, year-on-year. Guangdong News described the trend as “steady growth.”
[See more: China’s visa-free policy has successfully sparked a tourism surge]
The airport handled a total of 266,000 flights and 40.36 million passengers during the first half of the year. Cargo throughput reached 1.17 million tonnes, representing growth of 2 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, 19 international and regional passenger routes were either launched or had their frequency increased.
Baiyun International Airport expects to process about 14.6 million passengers during the summer travel peak season, which runs from 1 July to 31 August. That’s a forecast average daily passenger flow of 235,000 – a 6.3 percent year-on-year increase.
According to the National Immigration Administration, foreign visitors made 9.2 million inbound trips in the first quarter of 2025 – up 40.2 percent year-on-year. Of these, 71.3 percent were made under visa-free policies.
