入境游，湖南是“目的地”还是“中转站”？真相来了

Core Viewpoint - The implementation of the 240-hour transit visa exemption policy in Hunan has seen limited uptake, with only 4,000 foreign visitors utilizing it in a year, despite a total of 824,000 foreign entries and exits in the province, highlighting a mismatch between policy design and traveler behavior [1][3][5]. Group 1: Policy Overview - The 240-hour transit visa exemption policy was fully implemented on December 17, 2022, allowing foreign travelers to stay for up to 240 hours and adding 21 ports for entry and exit, later increasing to 26 [1][10]. - In Hunan, over 4,000 foreign visitors have benefited from this policy, with 3,800 at Changsha and 150 at Zhangjiajie, which is significantly higher than the total over the previous nine years under the 72-hour policy [1][3]. Group 2: Visitor Behavior and Policy Utilization - The low utilization of the transit visa exemption is attributed to its design for transit travelers, requiring a connecting ticket to a third country, which does not align with the travel patterns of most tourists who visit Hunan for leisure [3][5]. - For instance, during the May Day holiday, 95.6% of the 15,000 foreign visitors at Hunan ports utilized single-entry or mutual visa exemption policies rather than the transit exemption [5]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - The primary source of foreign tourists to Hunan is South Korea, where citizens can stay for 30 days under a single-entry visa exemption, making the transit visa less appealing [5][6]. - Changsha's diverse international flight connections have allowed it to attract more transit visa users compared to Zhangjiajie, which primarily serves tourists visiting for specific attractions [6][8]. Group 4: Future Prospects - The policy is expected to evolve, with the addition of Indonesia as a visa-exempt country and the inclusion of five ports in Guangdong, enhancing travel flow into Hunan [10]. - Efforts to increase awareness of the transit visa exemption policy have been made through various channels, indicating a growing interest among international travelers [10][12].