Beijing has recorded 2.3 million inbound and outbound trips made by foreigners this year as of Tuesday, up 39.3 percent year on year, according to official data.
During the same period, the city saw a total of 8 million entries and exits, achieving the 8-million milestone one month earlier than last year, with a year-on-year increase of 22.1 percent.
Foreigners made up 28.6 percent of all the travelers to Beijing.
The surge in foreign visitors is partly attributed to China's policies to make travel easier for them, such as visa-free access and departure tax refunds. These policies have generated a strong enthusiasm among international tourists to visit China and shop in China.
So far this year, the total number of entries made by foreigners to Beijing has surpassed 1.17 million, marking a 39.3-percent year-on-year increase.
Among them, more than 600,000 visits were made under visa-free access or the 240-hour temporary entry permit, nearly doubling the figures of the same period last year.
Foreigners visiting Beijing for purposes of tourism, business, and visiting family members accounted for 70.9 percent of the total, a year-on-year increase of 41.4 percent.
The proportion of foreigners among all inbound arrivals has grown steadily each month, rising from 21 percent in January to 36.4 percent in April, a jump of 15.4 percentage points.
Starting June 1, China's visa-free policy will benefit five more countries of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, which is expected to bring more foreign tourists to Beijing.
Beijing sees 2.3 mln inbound, outbound trips by foreigners this year: data
