7月的北京首都国际机场入境大厅熙熙攘攘。印尼旅客瑞亚持有效护照和中转前往日本的联程机 票，顺利办理了过境免签手续。她原计划去往日本参加商务会议，不久前得知印尼公民可适用中国240 小时过境免签政策，便决定来华过境，其间安排一次短暂旅行。 像瑞亚这样享受到中国签证便利化政策的外国旅客数量正在迅速增长。国家移民管理局数据显示， 今年上半年，免签入境外国人1364万人次，同比增长53.9%。 通关效率不断提升 上海口岸展示了另一种便利化创新——口岸签证。7月25日，在上海浦东国际机场，来自不同国家 的25名外籍游客组成旅行团入境。他们通过上海一旅行社提前申请办理了团体旅游口岸签证，节省了大 量境外申办个人签证的时间和经济成本。除了团签，今年以来，向上海口岸签证机关申请个人口岸签证 的外籍人员也同比增长34%。 1年前，上海还在全国率先试点签发电子口岸签证，签证信息以数字方式存储，无需在护照上粘贴 纸质签证。"电子口岸签证签发量逐月上升，近两个月来环比增长54.95%。"上海市公安局出入境管理总 队证件管理二支队副支队长黄一辰介绍。 区域政策因地制宜 "我来过中国很多地方，都是办旅游签入境，这次跟着团队免签入境，比以 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the significant increase in foreign travelers benefiting from China's visa facilitation policies, particularly the 240-hour transit visa exemption, which has led to a surge in tourism and improved cross-border travel efficiency [1][2]. Group 1: Visa Facilitation Policies - The number of foreign travelers entering China under the visa exemption policy reached 13.64 million in the first half of the year, marking a 53.9% year-on-year increase [1]. - The transit visa exemption policy was optimized in December last year, extending the stay duration to 10 days and increasing the number of applicable provinces to 24 [1]. - The policy aims to enhance China's accessibility and friendliness in the global tourism market, with major visitor sources including Russia, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Mexico [1]. Group 2: Enhanced Border Control Efficiency - Beijing's border control has improved efficiency by adding 11 temporary entry channels at the capital's airports, allowing for streamlined processing of foreign travelers [2]. - The introduction of group travel port visas in Shanghai has also seen a 34% increase in individual port visa applications this year [2]. - The electronic port visa system in Shanghai has shown a month-on-month increase of 54.95% in issuance [2]. Group 3: Regional Policies and Innovations - Various regional visa exemption policies have been implemented, such as the ASEAN tourist group exemption in Yunnan, which allows groups to enter without visas [3]. - The number of foreign tourists entering Hainan under the 30-day visa exemption policy reached 269,000 in the first half of the year, a 76% increase [4]. - Innovative measures at border checkpoints, such as pre-checks and real-time flow reporting, have been introduced to enhance the efficiency of foreign tourist entry [5]. Group 4: Economic and Cultural Impact - The expansion of visa exemption policies has led to increased participation in trade fairs, with Guangzhou's border control facilitating over 222 million foreign visitors in the first half of the year, a 40% increase [6]. - Sports events have also attracted foreign tourists, with a 20% increase in South Korean visitors to Jiangsu since the start of a local football league [6]. - Cultural events, such as the Qingdao International Beer Festival, have drawn significant foreign attendance, further promoting cross-border cultural exchange [7].