In the early hours of June 23, flight HU798 from Auckland landed at Haikou Meilan International Airport carrying 257 passengers. Among them, 23 foreign travelers entered Hainan via the transit visa-free policy.

On December 17, 2024, the National Immigration Administration announced a comprehensive easing and optimization of the transit visa-free policy, extending the permitted stay duration for eligible foreigners to 240 hours and adding Meilan International Airport to the list of 21 newly approved entry ports.

As of June 17, six months since the 144-hour (240-hour) transit visa-free policy took effect, Meilan Airport has facilitated over 2,600 travelers under this scheme—a surge of more than 187% compared to the 24-hour transit policy usage during the same period last year. The number of group tourist visas issued surpassed 5,200, marking a 75% year-on-year increase. Both group tourist visas and temporary entry permits have seen substantial growth at the port.

The expanded transit visa-free policy and surging demand for group visas have significantly boosted international travelers’ spending in Hainan. From January to May this year, Haikou welcomed 68,200 overnight international visitors, generating US$18 million in tourism revenue—a 23.76% increase year-on-year.

To maximize the policy’s benefits, Meilan Exit-Entry Inspection Station has collaborated with the airport, airlines, and cultural-tourism authorities to strengthen publicity of the transit visa-free rules. Multilingual guidance and policy consultation are provided on-site, while a dedicated "Temporary Entry Permit Application Zone" offers streamlined services handled by specialized staff. The advance pre-screening mechanism for transit visa-free travelers has reduced waiting times by over 50%.