Not 'Foreign Place' but 'Hometown': Seamless 'Xian Travel' for Foreign Tourists

Since the beginning of this year, a series of policies and measures have been introduced to facilitate the entry of foreigners into China. In the first half of the year, 14.635 million foreign nationals entered the country through various ports, an increase of 152.7 percent year-on-year. Among them, 8.542 million entered visa-free, accounting for 52 percent of the total, a 190.1 percent year-on-year increase.

Currently, China's 72/144-hour visa-free transit policy has covered 54 countries. As the enthusiasm of foreigners to visit China continues to rise, "China Travel" and other "China+" phrases have become buzzwords on social media both domestically and internationally.

Xi'an, known for its rich culture, has long been a top destination for tourists worldwide. To maximize the benefits of the "144-hour visa-free transit policy," Xi'an provides people-centered, convenient and international services in areas such as payment and travel. For example, since the policy's implementation, Xi'an has continuously expanded accommodation registration channels to offer quicker and more convenient services; it provides "green channel" services for foreigners who need to extend their stay due to emergencies or force majeure, further enhancing the appeal of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy.

Meanwhile, Xi'an has developed a comprehensive payment service system centered around "large transactions by card, small transactions by QR code, and cash as a fallback." This system supports foreign tourists to pay in multiple scenarios such as scenic spots, hotels, dining, and transportation through card payments, QR code scanning and cash. For instance, Xi'an has partnered with the Bank of China (BOC) Shaanxi Branch to install payment facilitation equipment at key cultural and tourism locations across the city to improve the card payment environment for foreign tourists. Cooperating with Ant Group's Alipay, Xi'an supports payments for online car-hailing, public transportation, bike rentals, dining, supermarkets, hotels, scenic spots, and other scenarios across the city through Alipay's two sets of cross-border digital payment solutions: binding international bank cards to the Alipay app and using overseas e-wallets to scan Alipay QR codes. Also, in collaboration with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Shaanxi Branch, Xi'an sets up payment service centers for foreign visitors and tourist payment service centers in famous scenic spots such as the Terracotta Warriors Museum and Huaqing Palace to provide foreign tourists with multi-currency foreign exchange services.

Additionally, banks are working closely with civil aviation, railway and other departments to optimize the payment environment for inbound tourists and facilitate offline ticket purchases for foreign tourists. For example, the BOA Shaanxi Branch quickly built a payment service demonstration area and service center for foreign visitors at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport; the China Construction Bank Shaanxi Branch established a "Tourist and Foreign Visitor Payment Service Center" at Xi'an North Railway Station; and the customer service centers at subway stations have been equipped with smart POS machines to process international card payments for purchasing subway tickets through manual service. These measures allow foreign tourists to experience Xi'an's exceptional "ticketing" services.

Whether it is mobile payment, convenient transportation, ticket reservation systems, or the service quality of tourism scenarios, all of them have left a deep impression on foreign tourists, making them fall in love with Xi'an. For them, Xi'an as an international tourist destination feels more like a "hometown" rather than a "foreign place."