英语新闻丨Shanghai to boost services for intl tourists

Political advisers in Shanghai have proposed comprehensive measures to enhance the city's appeal as a gateway destination for inbound tourists, including improved multilingual services and digital public offerings.上海市政协委员提出了多项综合措施，以增强上海作为入境游客门户目的地的吸引力，包括改进多语种服务和提升数字化公共服务。The proposals, aimed at building Shanghai into a high-level open gateway city, were submitted during the annual sessions of the city's legislative and political advisory bodies, which concluded on Saturday.1月18日，上海市立法机构和政治咨询机构年度会议闭幕。会议上提交的这些提案旨在将上海打造成为高水平开放门户城市。Advisers suggested aligning the city's digital public services with international standards and introducing an official multilingual guide app. The app would offer information on Shanghai's urban history, architecture and culture to help international tourists deepen their understanding of the city.政协委员建议，将上海数字公共服务与国际标准接轨，并推出一款官方多语种导览应用。该应用将提供有关上海城市历史、建筑、文化的信息，帮助国际游客加深对这座城市的了解。China's expanded visa-free travel policies, including the recent extension of transit visa-free stays to 240 hours, have opened the door to more international visitors.中国扩大了免签旅游政策，向更多国际游客敞开大门，包括近期将中转免签停留时间延长至240小时。South Korean tourists' growing interest in Shanghai was a highlight of the sessions. Data from travel platform Trip.com showed that between Nov 8 and Dec 28 last year, orders from inbound tourists from South Korea to Shanghai increased more than 180 percent year-on-year.韩国游客对上海日益浓厚的兴趣成为此次会议的一大亮点。旅游平台携程的数据显示，去年11月8日至12月28日期间，入境上海的韩国游客订单同比增长超过180%。In the Shanghai Municipal Government Work Report, Mayor Gong Zheng said the city aims to position itself as the top destination for inbound tourism, with internationally friendly tourism products and convenient services.上海市市长龚正作上海市政府工作报告时表示，上海的目标是打造入境旅游第一站，提供国际友好型旅游产品和便捷服务。Gu Weiling, director of the Shanghai Putuo District Administration of Sport, proposed creating a citywide action plan to optimize bilingual and multilingual services in all tourism-related sectors. The plan would include unified translation standards and consistent foreign language signage in public venues.上海市普陀区体育局局长顾薇玲提议制定全市行动计划，以优化所有旅游相关行业的双语及多语服务。该计划将包括统一翻译标准和公共场所外语标识。"Shanghai must also upgrade its tourism information service centers to benchmark against world-famous tourist cities," Gu said. She emphasized the need for information to be available in at least four languages, both in print and interactive digital formats.顾薇玲说：“上海还必须升级旅游信息服务中心，对标世界著名旅游城市形象。”她强调，必须实现至少四个语种同时展示信息，包括纸质版本和交互数字版本。Gu also recommended special reservation channels for expatriates on scenic spots' online booking systems, allowing passport numbers for registration. Additionally, she proposed offline ticket purchase channels that accept cash and support foreign bank card payments.顾薇玲还建议，在景区在线预订系统中设立外籍人士专门通道，允许使用护照号码进行注册。此外，她还提议设立线下购票通道，接受现金和外国银行卡支付。A collective proposal from some members of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference suggested leveraging artificial intelligence-powered digital guide tools to meet tourists' diverse needs. Such tools are already widely used in cities such as New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, they noted.部分上海政协委员联名提案建议，利用人工智能驱动的数字导览工具来满足游客的多样化需求。他们表示，这类工具已在纽约、伦敦、巴黎、东京等城市得到广泛应用。"Currently, the lack of multilingual audio guides or functional QR codes at scenic spots makes it difficult for international tourists to fully experience Shanghai's culture," the proposal said.提案指出：“目前景点缺乏多语种语音导览或功能性二维码，国际游客难以充分体验上海的文化。”"While Shanghai is popular among South Korean tourists, their visits are often limited to traditional attractions, food and shopping. Even those interested in the city's history and aesthetics struggle to find information," it added.“虽然上海在韩国游客中很受欢迎，但他们的游览通常仅限于传统景点、美食和购物。即使那些对上海历史和美学感兴趣的人也很难找到相关信息。”提案补充道。Another proposal called for addressing challenges in inbound tourism, such as registering for local ride-hailing apps, using mobile payment systems, and improving multilingual services. Political adviser Yan Jiehong suggested that the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office take the lead in developing systematic solutions to enhance digital experiences for tourists.另一项提案呼吁解决入境旅游面临的挑战，包括当地网约车应用注册、移动支付系统使用、多语种服务改进。政协委员严洁红建议，由上海市外事办公室牵头，制定系统性解决方案，提升游客的数字化体验。To address immediate needs upon arrival, Shanghai last year launched a one-stop service center at Pudong International Airport, offering Wi-Fi device rentals, SIM card and transportation card sales and foreign currency exchange.去年，上海在浦东国际机场推出了一站式服务中心，提供Wi-Fi设备租赁、SIM卡和交通卡销售、外币兑换服务，以解决外国游客抵沪后的即时需求。concludev.（以…）结束（讲话、会议、文章等）