China’s 2026 New Year holiday sets mobility record with 6.6 million border crossings and 142 million domestic trips
Hong Kong counts 5.4 million mainland-linked trips over New Year break, signalling Greater Bay Area rebound
Weather and post-holiday congestion trigger more than 600 flight delays across China’s major hubs
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Beijing issues fresh security update on Venezuela; companies told to reassess duty-of-care for China staff in South America
During a 5 January press conference, China’s Foreign Ministry repeated its call for citizens to avoid travel to Venezuela amid escalating conflict following U.S. strikes. Employers with Chinese assignees in the country should activate tracking and contingency plans and postpone non-essential trips.
Visa-free entries jump 35.8 % as China logs 6.61 million cross-border trips over New Year
China processed 6.61 million border crossings during the 2026 New Year break, with foreign arrivals up 29.8 % and visa-free entries up 35.8 % year-on-year. The data confirm that the country’s expanded visa-free regimes are driving inbound travel and offer corporates greater flexibility for short-term assignments and business visits.
Inbound tourism boom: China’s New Year holiday sees record foreign spend and mobility
Foreign visitor numbers and spending soared over the 2026 New Year break after China’s sweeping visa-free and payment-access reforms. Easier entry and mobile payments are fuelling demand for flights, hotels and duty-free shopping, giving mobility teams new options—but also new capacity headaches—when planning short-term assignments.
People-to-people exchanges with South Korea accelerate on back of China’s visa-free policy
China’s unilateral visa-free entry for South Korean citizens is driving a sharp uptick in two-way travel, boosting airlines, influencers and small-business trade. The boom reduces friction for short business trips but still requires careful planning for longer-term assignments.
South Korean President’s Beijing visit puts mobility and tourism cooperation on the agenda
President Lee Jae-myung’s state visit to China includes high-level talks on expanding flight capacity and introducing new travel-facilitation measures. Any agreement could slash lead times for corporate travel and technical assignments between Asia’s two biggest manufacturing hubs.