BEIJING: China is experiencing a surge in inbound tourism during the Labor Day holiday period thanks to several supporting measures to provide a better payment environment and easier entry for foreign visitors.
According to Trip.com, inbound travel orders during the week-long holiday period increased by 130 percent year on year. The foreign visitors are mostly from Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Russia and France.
Megacities – including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing – are the top five destinations for inbound tourists.
Earlier this year, Beijing made efforts to create an easier payment environment for overseas visitors. The capital city achieved full coverage of international arrival and departure foreign currency exchange services at the two major airports, with more than 40 convertible currencies.
To further boost inbound tourism, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced the establishment of foreign currency exchange service points surrounding national-level tourism sites and is promoting English services.
According to data from China’s National Immigration Administration, 1.99 million foreigners entered the country without visas in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 266.1 percent year on year thanks to the country’s new visa-free policy.
Earlier, China’s central bank released a guide to payment services in the county mid-March, as the latest step of its continuous efforts to optimize the payment experience of foreigners.
Among recent measures, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) instructed major payment platforms to increase the single transaction limit from $1,000 to $5,000 and the annual cumulative transaction cap from $10,000 to $50,000 for overseas travelers using mobile payments. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
