Record high inbound and outbound visits at 136th Canton Fair

Border inspectors are busy inspecting inbound and outbound passengers at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which opened a special green channel for the business people attending the 136th Canton Fair. (Photo by Ling Guanming/for chinadaily.com.cn)

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, witnessed a record high of inbound and outbound passenger visits during the 136th China Import and Export Fair, or Canton Fair, which ended on Monday.

According to the Baiyun Immigration Inspection Station, border inspection staff from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport cumulatively inspected more than 920,000 inbound and outbound passenger visits and over 6,200 passenger flight visits entering and exiting the southern metropolis from Oct 15 to Monday.

The figures represented an increase of 10.6 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively, when compared with the figures recorded at the previous Canton Fair, said a statement released by the station on Wednesday.

Among the visits, more than 480,000 foreign nationals entered and exited Guangzhou during the period, an increase of 27.1 percent compared to the previous Canton Fair, the statement said. The top five source countries were Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and Australia.

According to the statement, border inspection personnel also inspected more than 1,400 inbound and outbound cargo flight visits, an increase of 6.4 percent from the previous session. Airport border inspection personnel checked an average of 45,000 inbound and outbound passengers daily, peaking at more than 50,000 on Oct 19.

About 74,000 business people from nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative entered and left Guangzhou via Baiyun International Airport, accounting for 72 percent of the total foreign business representatives, an increase of 12 percent over the previous event.

The number of European foreign business representatives increased significantly, having benefited from visa-free entry policies. About 15,000 European business people attended the Canton Fair, representing 14 percent of the total and an increase of 30 percent compared to the previous session, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Pazhou Ferry Terminal also witnessed a record of more than 11,000 inbound and outbound passenger visits during the Canton Fair, a year-on-year increase of 22.58 percent compared with the same period last year.

Located in Guangzhou's busy Haizhu district, where the Canton Fair complex is situated, the Pazhou Ferry Terminal of the Pearl River is the only cross-border water passenger port in the downtown area of Guangzhou.

The terminal has now opened direct ferry routes to Hong Kong's downtown area and international airport.