Your money’s no longer no good here
Officials are making it easier for foreigners to travel in China.
On Monday, Minister of Tourism and Culture Sun Yeli called for greater efforts to facilitate cashless payments for foreigners.
- That comes after the State Council released a document on Friday to improve foreigners’ access to mobile payment platforms.
Sun said this was just the beginning (Gov.cn 1):
- "We are optimizing each step of the inbound tourism process.”
On Tuesday, the China Hospitality Association urged hotels to better accommodate foreign tourists, including by “aligning hotel services with global standards [and] expanding overseas booking options.”
On the same day, 10 ministries and departments released a “Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates” detailing procedures for obtaining SIM cards, extending visas, and filing taxes, among other day-to-day necessities.
Get smart: In 2023, foreign visits to China were a measly 36% of 2019 levels – that’s both a business and soft power loss for China.
Get real: Following a full-on foreigner ban during COVID, it’ll take more than token measures like these to bring Larry Laowai flocking back.