By Zhao Yu
Passenger traffic at Ningbo Lishe International Airport has continued to climb during the peak summer travel season. From July 1 to 31, Ningbo Airport Customs handled nearly 75,000 international and cross-boundary passenger trips and 667 flights.
Travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan accounted for more than 45,000 passenger trips, or about 60% of the total. Two-way passenger traffic between Ningbo and Hong Kong exceeded 28,000 trips, accounting for roughly 40% of the airport's total inbound-outbound passenger traffic.
Bangkok and Jeju Island ranked next, with each recording more than 9,300 two-way passenger trips. Despite having relatively few flights, the Ningbo-Nha Trang route saw strong demand, with most flights nearly fully booked and two-way passenger traffic exceeding 2,600 trips, making it a standout among this summer's outbound destinations.
The Ningbo-Budapest route, as a direct air link between Ningbo and Europe, recorded more than 2,300 two-way passenger trips.
"Short-haul destinations remain the most popular, with frequent flights and high passenger volumes, while medium- and long-haul routes are also attracting strong demand during the summer peak," said Hong Yang, deputy section chief of the Travel Inspection Section III at Ningbo Airport Customs. "This reflects the increasingly diverse travel preferences of Ningbo residents."
Inbound tourism is also gaining momentum, with more overseas visitors taking advantage of improved tax refund services.
On July 1, new tax refund measures took effect, including instant refunds at the point of purchase, nationwide validity for cross-city refunds, an extension of the refund period to 28 days, and simplified procedures for refunds of less than 10,000 yuan. The measures are designed to make tax refunds more convenient for overseas visitors traveling and shopping across different Chinese cities.
In July, Ningbo Airport Customs processed 82 departure tax refund applications worth more than 3.24 million yuan in total. The number of applications rose 78.2% year on year.