A foreign passenger enters via Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. [Photo/Gaoqi Border Inspection Station]
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport's inbound and outbound traffic for 2026 surpassed 2 million passengers on June 15, up 6 percent from last year and setting a new record by reaching this milestone nine days earlier.
The "China Travel" buzz shows no signs of slowing, and Xiamen — with its coastal charm and rich Minnan (southern Fujian) culture — is drawing overseas tourists in droves. Sightseeing and family visits account for more than 70 percent of inbound foreign travelers, with family getaways and solo leisure trips leading the way.
"The clearance process was very fast, and the overall experience was particularly good," said a traveler from the Netherlands after completing immigration formalities, praising the smooth and efficient processing at the airport.
To handle this record-high passenger flow, the Gaoqi Border Inspection Station has rolled out a range of measures, including real-time traffic monitoring via an in-house data platform, pre-sorting and zone-based inspection to cut wait times, and a flexible "tidal lane" system that dynamically reallocates inspection channels for Chinese and foreign passengers based on flight schedules and real-time crowd levels.
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