Group 1 - In the first half of the year, Chengdu Border Inspection Station processed over 31,000 transit visa exemption procedures, a year-on-year increase of 62.7% [1] - Chengdu Tianfu Airport handled approximately 4.213 million transit passengers with a transit rate of 15.4%, ranking among the top in the country [1] - The number of foreign visitors benefiting from the 240-hour transit visa exemption policy reached 13.64 million, a year-on-year increase of 53.9% [1] Group 2 - Chengdu has opened new direct flights, including a route to Madrid, enhancing its international connectivity and making it a convenient transit point for travelers [2] - The airport has optimized its transit processes, reducing the minimum transfer time to 90 minutes and launching 19 international transit flights [3] - The airport's entry and exit processes have been improved, allowing for customs checks to be completed in as little as 5 seconds using smart devices [3] Group 3 - Chengdu has established a tax refund service in the city center, with 181 duty-free shops forming a special tax refund area, attracting transit tourists to shop [4] - The implementation of the "immediate purchase and refund" service has led to a 12% increase in sales at participating stores, with foreign tourists accounting for about 7% of total revenue [5] - The city has enhanced payment convenience for foreign visitors, with a dedicated payment service center at Tianfu Airport and numerous merchants accepting foreign cards [5] Group 4 - Chengdu aims to become an international tourist destination by improving services across the entire inbound tourism chain, including direct payment options for foreign e-wallets and multi-language support at tourist sites [6] - The city has seen a 93% year-on-year increase in inbound tourists in the first half of the year, with travel agencies reporting that over 30% of their total visitors were inbound tourists [6] - Collaborative tourism routes have been launched with neighboring provinces, allowing foreign tourists to explore multiple regions within 240 hours [6][7]