China's financial hub Shanghai has introduced a series of user-friendly measures aimed at helping foreign visitors with entry, living arrangements, and payment procedures.
The number of foreigners visiting Shanghai has been rising steadily since China implemented a 144-hour visa-free transit policy. The city recorded 12.18 million inbound visits in the first nine months this year, up 107 percent year on year.
Three one-stop service centers for foreign visitors have been operational at Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports. Offering round-the-clock assistance, these service centers are located at the international flight arrival exits, ensuring that foreign passengers can easily see the centers immediately after completing immigration procedures.
"We are tourists here, so we are buying sim cards for seven days. It was very good, they were very helpful, and it was really fast," said a Portuguese tourist.
Shanghai has also actively promoted various payment options, including mobile payment, bank cards and cash. At present, a total of 70,000 terminals across the city have supported foreign card payments, covering eight major consumption scenarios including dining, accommodation, transportation, travel and shopping.
The city's major business districts are also expanding the acceptance of domestic payment methods for inbound tourists and enhancing the functionality for foreign card transactions.
Shanghai enhances service for surging number of foreign visitors
