Beijing received 469,000 inbound tourists in the first quarter of 2024, up by 3.1 times, or 67.2 percent of the figure in 2019. The city also recorded USD 650 million in tourism-related foreign exchange earnings in the same period, marking a significant year-on-year increase by 225.8 percent and equaling 67.4 percent of the amount recorded in the same period in 2019.

Statistics indicate the policies of visa-free entry have led to a notable increase in the inbound tourism sector. Travelers from the countries covered by the new policies of visa-free entry of China, including Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland are now visiting Beijing in large numbers. The current figures are nearly five times more than that of the same period in 2023.

Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and several other authorities have been actively promoting the recovery of inbound tourism. This year, 17 comprehensive surveys were conducted with focuses on entry, travel, lodging, sightseeing, shopping, and payment for foreign visitors in Beijing. Over 20 tasks regarding exit-entry procedures, consumer payment, tourism products, publicity and promotion, and language environment were specified.

Beijing, for instance, constructed payment service demonstration zones at both Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport for overseas visitors. The payment service centers have provided 3,305 consultation services for international visitors, processed 139,448 transactions with foreign bank cards, and completed 25,152 foreign currency exchange requests since they were put into operation in early February. As of the end of March, POS devices compatible with multiple foreign currencies had been installed, upgraded, or renovated in 79 5A-level and 4A-level tourist attractions, 154 five-star and four-star hotels (making 89 percent of the city's total five-star and four-star hotels), 340 locations, 11 municipal parks, and eight transport stations including Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station. In addition to its continuous efforts to improve inbound tourists' experience in cycling, intangible cultural heritages, city walks, and reservation procedures for popular scenic sites, Beijing has also introduced 88 new cultural and tourism destinations featuring 11 distinct themes.

(Source: WeChat official account "Wenlv Beijing")