Since the visa – free policy for South Korean holders of ordinary passports took effect on November 8, 2024, Kunming Changshui International Airport has witnessed a surge in South Korean tourists. More and more South Korean travelers are flying to Kunming to embark on their Yunnan – tour journey. As of 0:00 on June 10, the number of South Korean passengers entering and exiting through the Kunming Airport Port has soared to over 37,000, a 210% increase compared to the same period last year. The passenger flow of South Korean nationals has now ranked fourth among foreign visitors entering and exiting through the Kunming Port.
The “visa – free + direct – flight” combination has further shortened the distance between Kunming and the world. It not only demonstrates the implementation dividend of the unilateral visa – free policy for South Korea and the rising enthusiasm of South Korean tourists for Yunnan, highlighting the strong appeal of Yunnan and its capital city, Kunming, as tourist destinations. It also reflects the vibrant vitality of the regional cross – border tourism market and brings more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign individuals.
To provide a safer, more efficient, and convenient customs – clearance environment and serve the country’s high – level opening – up, the Kunming Immigration Inspection Station has strengthened duty organization and dispatch as well as passenger flow monitoring. They dynamically monitor to ensure smooth traffic, use big data to accurately predict peak hours, flexibly deploy police forces to fully open inspection channels, and ensure that passengers can pass through quickly. They have precisely set up guiding signs and assigned police officers proficient in foreign languages to provide translation and guidance, enabling foreign inbound passengers to communicate without barriers and pass through customs more smoothly. At the duty scene, they have also reasonably adjusted the proportion of inspection channels for Chinese and foreign passengers and increased the deployment of police forces during peak hours.
The Kunming Immigration Inspection Station offers 24 – hour “inspection upon arrival” services at the port. They have established and improved a new police operation mode of “professionals + mechanisms + big data”, collected flight information in advance, scientifically judged the peak hours of entry and exit, increased standby police forces and mobile forces, strictly carried out port control, and closely coordinated with airlines and other units. This transforms the “Kunming Port” into a “window of China” and converts the “visa – free entry boom” into a lasting driving force for high – quality development.
