英语新闻丨Beijing offers foreign travelers greater convenience

On a four-day transit to Beijing, two siblings from Poland who visited several places said they were very impressed by China after experiencing the city's advanced services for foreign tourists.在4天的北京中转旅行中，一对来自波兰的兄妹参观了多个景点，并表示在体验了北京为外国游客提供的先进服务后，对中国留下了深刻印象。"We noticed we could pay with cash, card, or by scanning a QR code, and we were surprised to learn that facial recognition could also be used for payments," said Dagmara Paszkowska, who was visiting China with her brother Norbert.“我们注意到可以使用现金、刷卡或通过扫描二维码支付，而且还可以通过面部识别来支付，这让我们非常惊讶，”达格玛拉·帕斯科夫斯卡说道，她与哥哥诺伯特正在中国旅行。As soon as foreign visitors arrive at the city's two major airports—Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport—they will see Beijing Service counters, which are part of a new mobile payment and travel and transportation initiative that was launched on Jan 1 to facilitate visitors from abroad.外国游客一抵达北京的两大机场——北京首都国际机场和北京大兴国际机场，便会看到“北京服务”柜台。1月1日起，两大机场启动了一项创新举措，提供移动支付、旅游、交通等方面的服务以便利外国游客，该柜台就是举措的部分内容。The Chinese capital's launch of the Beijing Service counters at the airports coincides with a surge in international arrivals propelled by China's extended visa-free policies, which offer transit visa-free access to travelers from 54 countries and exempts passport holders from 38 countries from needing visas for short stays.中国首都北京在机场推出“北京服务”柜台之际，恰逢中国延长免签政策推动国际旅客入境数量激增。该政策为来自54个国家的旅客提供中转免签入境便利，并免除38个国家护照持有人的短期停留签证要求。Wang Hongyan, deputy head of the Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism's external exchange and cooperation department, said at a news conference on Monday that a daily average of 252 foreign nationals now enter Beijing with a temporary 240-hour entry permit. Before the policies were extended, the maximum stay with such a permit was 144 hours.1月13日，北京市文化和旅游局对外交流与合作处副处长王红彦在新闻发布会上表示，目前每天平均有252名外国公民持临时240小时入境许可进入北京。在延长政策实施前，持此类许可的最长停留时间为144小时。In 2024, Beijing recorded 3.94 million inbound visits, up 186.8 percent year-on-year. The city's tourism foreign exchange income reached $4.91 billion, an increase of 151.7 percent year-on-year, according to the bureau.据该局统计，2024年，北京市入境游客达到394万人次，同比增长186.8%。北京市旅游外汇收入达到49.1亿美元，同比增长151.7%。"We have been making efforts to improve the foreign visitors' overall experience in the city, including customer service, transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, shopping and payment," Wang said. "More service improvements will be carried out in Beijing, and we expect a 5 percent increase in inbound tourists in 2025."王红彦表示：“我们一直在努力提升外国游客在北京的整体体验，包括客户服务、交通住宿、观光购物和支付等方面。北京将推出更多服务改进措施，预计2025年入境游客数量将增长5%。”At the international arrival zones at Beijing's two international airports, Beijing Service counters provide foreigners with one-stop service for a range of financial, communication, transportation, culture and tourism needs.在北京两大国际机场的国际抵达区，“北京服务”柜台为外国旅客提供金融、通讯、交通、文旅等需求的一站式服务。Some foreign visitors say they are amazed by China's convenient digital payment system, though they are not familiar with it upon their arrival.一些外国游客表示，虽然他们刚抵达时对中国的数字化支付系统还不熟悉，但随后便为其便捷程度感到惊叹。The counters also offer assistance with cash withdrawals using foreign bank cards and currency exchange, and staff members can help visitors download mobile payment apps.柜台还能协助使用外国银行卡取款、货币兑换，工作人员可以帮助游客下载移动支付应用程序。In addition, foreigners at the airports can purchase a Beijing Pass, which is a versatile, rechargeable transportation card issued by the Beijing municipal government. Cardholders can not only use public transportation services in 300 cities, but can also use the pass in designated commercial, cultural and tourism areas.此外，外国游客还可以在机场购买“北京通”卡，这是由北京市政府发行的一种多功能、可充值的交通卡。持卡人不仅可在300个城市乘坐公共交通，还可在指定的商业、文旅区域刷卡消费。According to the bureau, up to 39,000 Beijing Pass cards have been issued to foreign visitors since the program's launch in July.据该局介绍，自7月该项目启动以来，已向外国游客发放了3.9万张“北京通”卡。To better introduce Beijing's traditional culture, the city now even offers free half-day trips to international transit passengers at Beijing Capital International Airport, according to the bureau.北京文旅局还表示，为了更好地介绍北京的传统文化，现在北京市甚至为北京首都国际机场的国际中转旅客提供免费半日游。Katia Houle, a representative for Trip.com, a travel platform, said that Beijing Express, a service that the company launched on Dec 27, enables visitors to register for free tours in the city.旅游平台携程网的代表卡蒂亚·胡尔表示，该公司于12月27日推出“北京快行”服务，游客可以注册并参加免费游京活动。"We offer free tours every single day. You sign up on the spot, and our tour guides are there," she said.“我们每天都提供免费旅游。您可以现场报名，我们的导游会在那里等候，”她说道。The first tour, which runs from 7:30 am to 1:00 pm, offers a direct trip from the airport to the Bada­ling section of the Great Wall and then returns to the airport. The second tour, from 1:30 pm to 9:00 pm, takes visitors downtown, where they visit the Temple of Heaven and pass Tian'anmen Square before returning to the airport.第一趟旅游线路为早上7:30至下午1:00，从机场直达八达岭长城段，然后返回机场。第二趟旅游线路为下午1:30至晚上9:00，带领游客前往市中心，参观天坛并途经天安门广场，最后返回机场。Recently, other Chinese cities, including Shanghai, have also attracted thousands of foreign visitors due to the visa-free policies. In recent months, for example, an increasing number of South Korean visitors have flocked to Shanghai because of the low flight ticket prices and the short flight distance.近期，包括上海在内的其他中国城市也因免签政策吸引了成千上万的外国游客。例如，近几个月来，由于机票价格低廉且飞行距离短，越来越多的韩国游客涌入上海。"I love the Shanghai style, which is fancy and modern," one South Korean who visited Shanghai last week posted on social media. "I went to several sightseeing spots in the city and tried delicious cuisine."“我喜欢上海的风格，既时尚又现代，”一名上周来上海旅游的韩国人在社交媒体上写道。“我参观了城市里的几个景点，还品尝了美食。”facilitatev.促进；使便利