BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese authorities on Friday asked hotels across the country not to refuse foreign customers based on claims that they lack relevant qualifications to accommodate such guests.
According to the website of the Chinese government, some foreigners from Nigeria, Britain, Pakistan and other countries have reported being refused accommodation at some hotels due to reasons such as hotels lacking a license to accept foreign guests or not knowing how to input foreigners’ information into their systems.
In response to these complaints, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Commerce and the National Immigration Administration said that Chinese hotels cannot refuse foreign guests on the grounds of lacking licenses to receive guests. Hotels are being guided and supervised to improve their foreign guest reception capabilities and to enhance their staff services.
Guided by the Ministry of Commerce in March, the China Hotel Association called on the country’s accommodation sector to provide more convenience for global travelers. Related measures include aligning hotel services with global standards, expanding overseas booking options, and simplifying payment processes to accommodate international bank cards.
Efforts are also being coordinated with online platforms to offer free English-language training courses on registration, bookings and other hotel-related skills to accommodation providers, enabling hospitality workers to improve their foreign-language skills and serve foreign guests in an improved manner, according to the Chinese government website.
When foreigners stay in a hotel in China, the hotel should register their accommodation in accordance with the hotel industry’s public security administration regulations and submit that registration information to the public security organ in the area where the hotel is located, according to China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law.
A hotel should register guests to whom accommodation is provided. When registering, the guest’s form of identification should be examined and an accurate registration of all stipulated items should be made. If accommodation is provided to a foreign guest, the accommodation registration form should be submitted to the local public security organ within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival, according to the Measures for the Public Security Administration of the Hotel Industry.
The Chinese authorities stressed the need to improve modern tourism systems and accelerate China’s transformation into a strong tourism country, highlighting the importance of developing the tourism sector to promote economic development further, showcase China’s image, and enhance exchanges between civilizations.
In recent months, China has been continually improving the convenience of services for foreigners working and living in the country. In April, Chinese authorities introduced measures to make payment more accessible for foreigners visiting the country’s major tourist attractions.
A circular issued by several government organs, including the People’s Bank of China, stipulates that domestic and overseas bank cards should be accepted at all tourist hotels at or above the three-star level, at all 5A and 4A-level national tourist attractions, at all national and provincial tourist resorts, and in all national tourism and leisure districts.
Major payment services providers, including Alipay and WeChat Pay, have also enhanced payment operations and introduced foreigner-friendly functions. Alipay reported that during the May Day holiday, the total spending of foreign visitors using Alipay increased sevenfold year on year, and the number of Chinese merchants serving international customers via Alipay grew 4.5 times.
WeChat Pay reported that in March 2024, the daily number of transactions by international visitors increased more than threefold, compared to the period before July last year when WeChat Pay upgraded its international card service.
