BEIJING: Tourism experts have called for streamlining visa issuance procedures and improving transportation, payment and accommodation services for international travelers, to accelerate the recovery of the inbound tourism market and boost confidence in the industry.
In the first half of this year, a total of 168 million arrivals and departures from the Chinese mainland were recorded, around 49 percent of the figure in the same period in 2019, according to the National Immigration Administration.
Of these arrivals and departures, about 74.9 million were made by residents from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan, while nearly 8.44 million were made by foreign travelers. The performance of the inbound tourism market has been flagging in large metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai, which used to be the main attractions for international visitors.
According to the Shanghai Bureau of Statistics, the city received about 1.24 million visits by overseas travelers in the first half of the year. Of these, 756,200 were made by foreign travelers, which was about 22 percent of the figure in the same period in 2019. Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said that although there has been a decline in inbound tourism, China still has confidence in it and is determined to develop the market. Hu Jiying, deputy general manager of CYTS International Travel Co, said the company resumed services for international travelers from countries and regions including the United States and Germany in late March. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
