Xiamen, one of China’s earliest Special Economic Zones, is pitching itself as a springboard for international deal-making with four back-to-back trade shows in March: the 26th Xiamen Stone Fair (16–19 Mar), the CACLP In-Vitro Diagnostic Expo (21–23 Mar), Home China Expo (27–29 Mar) and the Global Ocean City Food Expo (29–31 Mar). City officials say more than 8,000 foreign buyers from 90 economies have pre-registered—triple the figure for the comparable 2025 events—thanks in part to China’s expanded 30-day visa-free entry for 50 nations and to a new “pre-clearance code” that lets exhibitors upload manifests and receive a green QR lane on arrival at Gaoqi International Airport.
![Xiamen’s March Mega-Fairs Poised to Reignite Inbound Business Travel to China’s Southeast SEZ]()
For visitors whose passports aren’t covered by the new visa-free policy—or who simply want the certainty of having paperwork squared away before departure—VisaHQ can take the hassle out of obtaining a Chinese visa. Its step-by-step online service (https://www.visahq.com/china/) gathers the necessary documents, submits them to the correct consulate and keeps applicants updated in real time, saving valuable hours for delegates racing to make Xiamen’s busy March schedule.
Local hotels report occupancy above 85 percent for the peak week of 16–23 March, and the airport will operate eight additional late-night charter arrivals from Seoul, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The municipal commerce bureau has also upgraded its “One-Stop MICE Desk” to include bilingual tax-refund services and on-site bank-card activation counters for international cards on Alipay and WeChat Pay. For mobility planners the message is two-fold: (1) secure accommodation early or consider nearby Quanzhou for overflow, and (2) brief travellers on the digital-payment enrolment process, which now takes roughly five minutes at dedicated kiosks in the arrivals hall. Corporate exhibitors applaud the changes. “Last year we spent two hours queueing for card activation; this year it took less than ten minutes,” said a Singaporean medical-device supplier, adding that easier payments would likely encourage repeat visits.
For visitors whose passports aren’t covered by the new visa-free policy—or who simply want the certainty of having paperwork squared away before departure—VisaHQ can take the hassle out of obtaining a Chinese visa. Its step-by-step online service (https://www.visahq.com/china/) gathers the necessary documents, submits them to the correct consulate and keeps applicants updated in real time, saving valuable hours for delegates racing to make Xiamen’s busy March schedule.
Local hotels report occupancy above 85 percent for the peak week of 16–23 March, and the airport will operate eight additional late-night charter arrivals from Seoul, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The municipal commerce bureau has also upgraded its “One-Stop MICE Desk” to include bilingual tax-refund services and on-site bank-card activation counters for international cards on Alipay and WeChat Pay. For mobility planners the message is two-fold: (1) secure accommodation early or consider nearby Quanzhou for overflow, and (2) brief travellers on the digital-payment enrolment process, which now takes roughly five minutes at dedicated kiosks in the arrivals hall. Corporate exhibitors applaud the changes. “Last year we spent two hours queueing for card activation; this year it took less than ten minutes,” said a Singaporean medical-device supplier, adding that easier payments would likely encourage repeat visits.
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