Guiyang sees increase in international tourists in H1

International visitors can withdraw cash at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. [Photo/Dongjing news]

According to data from the National Immigration Administration, in the first half of this year, China received 14.64 million international visits through various ports, a year-on-year increase of 152.7 percent.

With the official implementation of mutual visa exemption agreements with Singapore and Thailand as well as trial visa exemption policies for New Zealand, Australia, and Poland, along with the implementation of various measures to facilitate inbound tourism, an increasing number of international tourists are coming to Southwest China's Guizhou province to experience its diverse charms.

Several travel agencies in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, have seen a significant increase in the number of inbound tourists.

"In the first half of this year, we saw a 300-percent increase in the number of travelers from Singapore compared to the same period in 2019, and achieved record numbers of tourists from faraway countries such as Algeria in North Africa and several Eastern European countries," according to a travel agency in Guiyang. Since the end of February this year, it has received visitors from over 20 countries.

In the first half of this year, the number of inbound international tourists in Guiyang exceeded 100,000, surpassing the total number of visits received last year.

To better serve international tourists, during this summer travel season, Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport planned to operate four international and regional routes: Guiyang=Macao, Guiyang=Bangkok, Guiyang=Shenzhen=Milan, and Guiyang=Shanghai=Osaka.

Additionally, the payment service center at the airport has been put into operation, offering cash withdrawal services for seven mainstream international bank cards, including VISA, Mastercard, and Discover.

"Since the official launch of the service center on April 17 this year, branches of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Guizhou have processed 1,412 cash withdrawals by international bank cards, totaling 2.8 million yuan," according to the Guiyang Nanming airport branch of ICBC.

ICBC has also set up an "overseas guest payment service consultation counter" at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport. Moreover, the airport branch provides exchange services for 14 commonly-used currencies, further enhancing the experience for international visitors arriving in Guizhou.