Online, "City is not City" and "China Travel" have become popular on global social media, and even "reverse export" has become a hot word in China; offline, walking on the streets of Beijing, citizens clearly feel that there are more foreigners around them. According to the latest statistics from the Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau, Beijing will receive a total of 3.942 million inbound tourists in 2024 (including 3.350 million overnight tourists and 591,000 one-day tourists), a year-on-year increase of 186.8%, returning to 88.9% of 2019. Beijing's inbound tourism has accelerated its recovery and continued to improve, achieving remarkable results.
It's such a joy to have friends come from far away. With the implementation of measures to facilitate inbound tourism services such as visas, customs clearance, payment, accommodation, and transportation, more and more foreign tourists are embarking on Happy China Tours, and Beijing has become one of the most popular inbound tourism destinations. The Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau revealed that in 2025, Beijing will launch 18 measures for inbound tourism in an effort to achieve a 5% increase in inbound tourists. Since the beginning of the year, the six innovative measures implemented have really led to a wave of inbound tourism getting off to a good start.
Visa-free convenience
Inspire new dreams for overseas tourists to visit China
On the afternoon of January 16, the Yonghe Temple was packed with people. The biting cold wind could not resist people's enthusiasm for praying.
Among the various crowds, a reporter from Beiqing Daily saw a pair of foreign mother and daughter wearing red down jackets following the tourists and looking around with interest. The mother held burning incense in her hand and bowed her head to the gods in the main hall to make a wish. The daughter beside her took photos of this scene with great interest. Afterwards, my daughter enthusiastically accepted an interview with a reporter from Beiqing Daily. She said that they were from Madrid, Spain, and the history education they had received since childhood was all about Europe and knew nothing about Asia, so they had always wanted to come to China to find out more. By chance, she discovered that there was a direct flight from Madrid to Beijing, and she did not need a visa to stay in China for 30 days, so she arranged a three-week trip to China, with Beijing as the first stop. "Beijing and Madrid are very closely connected and are two cities that are very convenient to travel between."
Not far away, a young Spanish couple looked at each statue for a long time and took photos of each other with the red wall as the background. The two said they came to China to gain some new experiences because they believe China has a long history and unique culture. They also specifically mentioned China’s visa-free policy, “This makes it easier for us to come to China. Many Spaniards we know have recently planned to come to China.”
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In order to fully improve the customs clearance experience for foreign passengers, Beijing Immigration Inspection has optimized the application process in advance in accordance with the requirements of the 240-hour transit visa-free policy, integrated the two steps of travelers' application for temporary entry permits and the immigration procedures, and set up temporary entry permit issuance at the duty site The dedicated channel enables “one-stop” processing of permit issuance and entry inspection. All convenient policies and measures applicable to airports and ports, such as visa exemption for transit, exemption of border inspection procedures for direct transfer, and fast customs clearance, have all been implemented at Beijing Port.
Currently, there are an average of 252 foreigners entering the country by applying for a 240-hour temporary entry permit every day, and the average number of daily issuances has increased by 70% compared with before the New Deal.
As the New Year is approaching, a German tourist was attracted by the strong Chinese New Year flavor during the New Year celebrations at the foot of the Great Wall.
"Scan"
Becoming a new fashion for overseas tourists visiting Beijing
The Spanish mother and daughter who visited the Lama Temple also said that after arriving in Beijing, they found that it was very different from Europe and the United States. The first challenge they faced was electronic payment in Beijing. "It took a lot of time to download WeChat and adjust the settings, and I couldn't scan the QR code when I first paid. After using it a few times, I realized that this payment method is really convenient." After learning that local residents in Beijing have basically My mother looked surprised after not using cash.
The young Spanish couple excitedly showed the Beijing Youth Daily reporter the newly created folders on their mobile phones, including WeChat, Alipay, Didi, etc. Through these "magic weapons", they immediately enjoy the conveniences of living in China. The couple said that Alipay's online payment saves them the trouble of going to the bank to withdraw money, and they were surprised that they had not used cash once in the eight days since they came to China. They also found that traveling in China is very convenient. The two even "researched" how to use their mobile phones to scan QR codes to enter subway stations. "China's subways are large, clean, and extend in all directions, connecting the entire city into a close community."
Regarding the problem of language communication, the couple said: "At first we couldn't understand the Chinese menu, so we could only order based on our feelings. It was difficult to try delicious dishes. However, this obstacle was solved after downloading the translation software. All the problems we encountered were solved." The Chinese are very patient with us. In the future, we will not stop our friends from coming to China because of language barriers.”
Coming to China for the first time, Canadians Davis and Jasmine quickly adapted to life here. The two followed their friends' advice and downloaded WeChat before entering the country, but soon realized that WeChat was much more than a simple chat software in China. Jasmine said: "When we arrived at the restaurant, the waiter taught us step by step how to scan the QR code to order and pay using WeChat. WeChat is connected to a very developed online payment system. I had never thought that we could travel everywhere with just one mobile phone. "The world." In addition, they have downloaded various translation software on their mobile phones. "The software can take pictures and check the English translation, and it can also be used for communication. The Chinese are very happy to try to talk to us."
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Beijing has launched two more innovative products for entry payment that are the first in the country. Starting from January 1 this year, the "Beijing Service" airport service points have been officially put into operation at the arrival floors of Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. The "two-card fusion" terminal recommended by the service point provides innovative payment and communication product solutions for overseas passengers. It is based on the latest "card transcoding" technology and innovative integration terminal developed by China UnionPay, realizing the cross-border integration of bank cards and communication cards. Through the close cooperation between Bank of Beijing, China UnionPay, and Beijing Unicom, we provide inbound travelers with one-stop services such as bank card account opening, communication card processing, consumption scan code payment, terminal equipment rental, portable WiFi, and translation.
China Unicom has also joined forces with Bank of China and Beijing Card to launch the country's first innovative SIM card integration service product CUBe Card for overseas tourists visiting China, integrating the three high-frequency services of "communication + payment + transportation". Without downloading and registering a mobile payment app or activating other additional services, tourists can apply for a SIM card that integrates "communication services, digital RMB payment, and transportation payment functions" by simply showing their passport. After purchase, they can insert it into their mobile phone. In addition to voice calls and Internet access, you can also use digital RMB to purchase goods, pay for public transportation through "BEIJING PASS", etc. This marks Beijing's first breakthrough in solving the payment, communication and travel problems of international tourists coming to China.
Chinese year
Enriching overseas tourists’ immersive experience in Beijing
Although they still need to adapt, the Spanish mother and daughter said they were very satisfied with Beijing, the first stop of their trip to China. The daughter said that she liked the Spring Festival decorations and lights on the street very much. “At first we didn’t know why there were snake patterns everywhere, but then we guessed that this year might be the Year of the Snake in China.” Her mother was deeply impressed by the historical buildings in Beijing. She found these The ancient buildings are well preserved and very clean. The mother and daughter have already visited the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and the Badaling Great Wall. "Beijing is really a city with a sense of history. Every courtyard you come to and every floor tile you walk through has a lot to tell." , stories that happened here. "My daughter's job is to handle transnational projects, which requires her to live in different countries. She is still unsatisfied with her trip to Beijing. She is very much looking forward to the opportunity to work in China in the future."
Another Spanish couple said they liked the Summer Palace and the Mutianyu Great Wall the most, and even showed a video of "taking a slide" down the Great Wall to a reporter from Beiqing Daily. In order to avoid the tourist peak, they deliberately chose to come to Beijing before the Spring Festival. They still felt the enthusiasm of the Chinese New Year. "Lanterns were hung up everywhere in Beijing, and various stores were crowded with people shopping with large and small bags." Infected by the rich traditional cultural atmosphere around the scenic spot, they also went online to check the meaning of the Chinese zodiac. "One of us is a horse and the other is a sheep," which they found very interesting.
Davis and Jasmine from Canada, after a two-week trip to the south in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Foshan and other places, finally arrived at the highlight of the trip - Beijing. At this time, they are very comfortable and enjoying traveling in China. Davis said that he had just visited the Summer Palace during the day. "We went to the Hall of Renshou and the Garden of Dehe. Every time we came to a new courtyard, the tour guide could tell a lot about what happened to the ancient emperors here. I admire the Chinese people for taking themselves so seriously." "No matter where we go, people are familiar with the stories in the historical sites." She also liked it after a day of sightseeing. Strolling on a winter night in Beijing, she was deeply impressed by the hustle and bustle of Drum Tower, Qianmen Street, and Sanlitun at night. “You don’t need to worry about your personal safety. You can feel at ease and discover surprises in all kinds of interesting shops as you like. The streets have begun to be decorated with lanterns. and the Year of the Snake pattern, with warm lights and lively atmosphere, the whole city is ready to enter the new year.”
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Ctrip Group launched the first "Free Beijing Half-Day Tour" project on the market for international transit passengers on December 27, 2024, which includes free transportation, foreign language guide explanations, attraction tickets and free Internet services to ensure that inbound tourists have a worry-free trip. Experience the charm of Beijing. This project can be applied for at the assembly point of Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport. As of January 12, 522 passengers from nearly 50 countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Singapore, have experienced the project.
On the first day of the new year, China Travel Service also officially launched the cultural and tourism service area set up by China Travel Service at the international arrivals exit on the first floor of the public area of the Beijing Daxing International Airport terminal. The daily operation hours are from 8:00 to 24:00, mainly providing hotel reservations, scenic spot ticket inquiries, travel route consultation, Beijing cultural tourism promotion and other services for inbound tourists. At the same time, China Travel Service has also launched diversified tourism products such as half-day tours, one-day tours, and customized tours. As of January 12, the zone has provided services to more than 1,200 tourists from more than 30 countries and regions, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States. (Reporter Yang Wenjie, intern coordinator Mao Yufeng/Li Yang)
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