Beijing Service counters make visiting the capital easier for foreign travelers

The Chinese capital launched Beijing Service, a new mobile payment and travel and transportation initiative, on Jan 1 to facilitate visitors from abroad.

The inauguration of Beijing Service counters at the airports coincides with the surge in international arrivals, propelled by China's relaxed visa-free policies. This has led Beijing to improve its services for overseas visitors.

Beijing Service counters are designed to provide foreigners with a one-stop service for a range of finance, communication, transportation, culture and tourism needs.

As China transitions most of its payment systems to digital applications, foreigners find the step challenging.

On a four-day transit in Beijing, two siblings from Poland named Dogmara and Norbert shared their experience.

"We didn't know much about China, but we knew about the advanced technology," said Dogmara.

"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," she added.

Although they were amazed by China's advanced payment methods, they often encountered hurdles navigating Beijing while adjusting to this new system.

"It is worth seeing, but I recommend first getting familiar with payment applications to save time," said Norbert.

"We are very impressed by China," he added.

The Payment Services area is designed to address those issues. It offers assistance with cash withdrawals using foreign bank cards and currency exchange, and staff members help visitors download mobile payment apps.

At the Tourist Services area, dedicated staff members create customized travel itineraries based on tourists' needs and assist with ticket bookings.

Furthermore, transit passengers at Beijing Capital International Airport are offered complimentary half-day tours of Beijing.

Katia Houle, a Trip.com representative, said that Trip.com Group launched Beijing Express on Dec 27. This service enables visitors to register for free Great Wall and Beijing tours.

"We offer free tours every single day. You sign on the spot, and our tour guides are there," she said.

"We offer free transportation, attraction tickets, internet and an English-speaking tour guide. So it's all covered," Katia added.