As the "China Travel" trend continues to boom on overseas social media, an increasing number of foreign nationals are choosing to come to Beijing for tourism, living, business, or study. To further enhance convenience for foreigners, Beijing has built a comprehensive service system, with considerate services available at every step from pre-arrival preparations and entry procedures, to getting around, sightseeing, and handling administrative matters, all the way to a smooth departure. These help foreign nationals easily discover the charm of this international metropolis.

Step 1: Before Departure—Prepare in Advance and Enjoy Convenience from the Start

Even before you set foot in Beijing, you can make all preparations via two major online platforms.

One is the International Web Portal of Beijing, which supports 10 languages: English, Korean, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese and Italian. Here, you can easily access information in your preferred language. The newly upgraded "Traveling in Beijing" section features five columns—"Fancy Events", "Iconic Destinations", "Curated Shopping Choices", "Tasty Offerings", and "Essentials". It provides one-stop guides covering pre-arrival preparations, arrival tips, and many other possible scenarios, including accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment, helping visitors plan every leg of their trips. For those coming for business or study, the website also provides clear service guidelines, so they know what to expect at every step.

In addition, to make visits to Beijing even easier, the Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services and Data Management, in collaboration with Alipay, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, the Beijing Municipal Tax Service, and other organizations, has launched the one-stop comprehensive service platform "GO BEIJING", available through the international version of Alipay. You can simply register and sign in to access 39 services covering a diverse range of scenarios, with no need to download additional apps. The platform supports seamless switching among 16 languages, including Chinese, English, Russian, Korean, and Arabic. You can also claim in advance your gift package for traveling in Beijing, which contains various coupons for transportation, hotels, scenic attractions, and luggage storage to help you save along the way. The AI assistant "Jingjing" can help plan itineraries, book tickets, and provide AI-powered travel companion services, making your trip in Beijing easier and worry-free.

Step 2: Upon Arrival—Airport Services Ready and Waiting

When you arrive at the Beijing Capital International Airport or the Beijing Daxing International Airport on an international flight, you will find the "Beijing Service" counters right at the international arrival exit. These counters offer over 20 most-requested services across four major categories, helping you settle into the city from the moment you arrive.

Each service counter is equipped with multilingual, AI-powered visual translation devices, enabling smooth communication regardless of which language you use. At the counter, you can also purchase a local SIM card, receive assistance with downloading mobile payment apps, and get advice on mobile payment services, so as to get ready for cashless spending in Beijing. Interested in exploring Beijing's cultural and tourism highlights? Staff can help reserve tickets for attractions and provide route guidance. You can also receive the "Welcome to Beijing" gift package filled with brochures on cultural, sports, and commercial events that help you get to know about the city.

Heading downtown? Multiple transportation options are available. Notably, Beijing is the world's first city where passengers can simply tap any of five major international bank cards to pass through subway gates.

Step 3: During Your Stay—Enjoy Convenience Across All Scenarios

During your stay in Beijing, whether you are sightseeing, shopping, handling administrative matters, or simply going about daily life, tailored convenient services are always available to make you feel at home.

"GO BEIJING" serves as your all-in-one travel companion in Beijing. The "Explore Beijing" section recommends unique scenic attractions, performances, exhibitions, sports events and creative cultural products. You can also find travel tips shared by international users to experience Beijing's charm. The "Beijing Services" section provides timely updates on policy interpretations, city events, and travel guides, as well as a shortcut to Beijing's 12345 hotline for round-the-clock assistance for any inquiries.

For payments, "GO BEIJING" has launched the exclusive "Travel Wallet" for foreign visitors, which does not require bank card linking and incurs no transaction fees for spending in Beijing, with fast payment processing speed and a wide range of use scenarios. You only need to open an account on "GO BEIJING" and transfer funds via cross-border remittance to make easy payments in the city. The service is currently available for visitors from 40 countries and regions.

At stores offering instant tax refunds in Beijing, you can enjoy the "one-tap" instant tax refund service via "GO BEIJING", with refunds credited to your account in as little as 2 minutes. Tax refunds are available for payments made by credit cards, cash, and WeChat Pay.

The English version of Jingtong app is another user-friendly, hassle-free urban service platform for foreign residents in the capital city. Set your phone's system language to English, and the app will be automatically switched to English. You can upload your passport photo for automatic identity recognition, eliminating the need for manual input and enabling faster, more efficient login. The app encompasses over 30 most-needed services including hospital appointment booking, English maps and SIM card application reservations. It also features six scenario-based guides for investment, work, study, daily life, travel, and consumption, with clear workflows to help you get things done in Beijing effortlessly.

Step 4: For Any Request—Reach out in Your Preferred Language, Get It Resolved Quickly

During your stay in Beijing, you are encouraged to voice all your inquiries, suggestions and complaints. You can visit the "12345 Online" section on the International Web Portal of Beijing to leave messages in your preferred language. The platform currently supports 10 languages, including English, Korean, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Italian. All messages are directly routed to Beijing's "Swift Response to Public Complaints" system, where relevant authorities collaborate to address issues efficiently and respond to reasonable requests promptly, helping foreign visitors have a greater sense of belonging while living, working, or traveling in Beijing.

(Source: Beijing Fabu)