Windy Shao

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GUANGDONG Province has revealed a strategy to enhance inbound tourism, aiming to attract more international visitors and establish itself as a top tourist spot. Key measures include improving visa and customs procedures to provide a seamless experience for tourists.

The province will introduce initiatives to draw more tourists, such as expanding the 144-hour transit visa program for foreign groups arriving via Hong Kong and Macao to the Pearl River Delta area and Shantou.

As part of the strategy, simplified customs procedures will be introduced at major airports and seaports, along with increased inspection facilities and faster customs processes for foreign visitors. Easy transit for tourist groups will be facilitated, and direct transit without inspection procedures for 24 hours will be promoted for foreign nationals at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport.

To improve services for inbound tourists, the plan includes streamlining accommodation registrations, accepting foreign bank cards, setting up more payment service facilities, and promoting mobile payments.

A tax refund scheme for overseas tourists’ purchases will encourage more stores to join, offering a variety of goods eligible for refunds. Multilingual services at cultural sites, passenger hubs, and online information services in foreign languages are key aspects of the initiative.

The Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism will introduce 100 premium tourist routes, focusing initially on 20 quality Guangdong-themed itineraries. Noteworthy routes include the GBA skyscraper alliance tour, yacht water sightseeing tour, and intangible cultural heritage experience tour, among others, covering a wide range of unique experiences across the region.

Official data released by the department for the first half of 2024 revealed a significant surge in inbound tourists, with 30.2 million visitors representing a 429.3% increase year-on-year.

Guangdong witnessed its tourism revenue reaching 75.49 billion yuan (US$10.8 billion) in the first half this year, marking a 369.4% surge. The average expenditure per inbound tourist rose to 2,499 yuan, reflecting a 43.6% increase from the previous year.

Spending by inbound tourists mainly went to shopping, transportation, accommodation, and dining, with shopping being the largest category.

The spike in shopping outlays by inbound tourists was attributed to heightened accessibility in the retail sector for smaller-scale purchases and the growing trend of visits by tourists from Hong Kong and Macao. The diverse array of consumption options, ranging from shopping and dining to entertainment, coupled with top-notch service standards, have resonated positively with tourists from the two special administrative regions.