Foreign tourists in China are struggling with payment challenges, as
the widespread dominance of cashless transactions through smartphones
poses inconveniences.
Addressing this issue, Sun Yeli, China's Minister of Culture and
Tourism, spoke on 11 March about measures aimed at ensuring a smoother
experience for international visitors navigating the intricacies of
mobile payments in the country.
Sun acknowledged the unexpected hurdles arising from the rapid
development of mobile payment technologies in China. He assured
journalists that the authorities were actively addressing the matter,
implementing a coordination mechanism to alleviate payment difficulties
faced by inbound tourists.
Among the measures discussed by Sun, there is a focus on reinstalling
and upgrading point-of-sale devices to accept bank cards in various
tourist-centric locations.
Additionally, efforts are being made to simplify the registration
process for China's payment applications for foreign visitors. The
minister stressed the mandatory acceptance of the Chinese currency in
cash at all consumption sites.
“We are optimising each step of the inbound tourism process,
streamlining procedures ranging from visa applications to flight
arrangements, hotel check-ins, shopping and sightseeing,” Sun added.
“With the implementation of these measures, foreign tourists visiting
China will enjoy the same level of convenience in accommodation,
transportation and shopping as domestic tourists.”