Shanghai to up the tourist experience with new plans

Shanghai will provide more convenience and further improve the tourism environment for inbound tourists in 2019 to make the city a tourist destination more influential globally, the city government said on Wednesday during the annual working conference about Shanghai's tourism.

Authorities will explore expanding the coverage of the current 144-hour visa-free transit electronic application system, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism. At present, people of 53 nationalities can enjoy a 144-hour visa-free transit through a number of cities in China, such as Shanghai and Beijing.

In addition, Shanghai will also explore self-service clearance for outbound foreigners from the city this year, according to the administration.

"Improving the inbound tourism environment is on the agenda this year to create a pleasant and friendly experience for inbound travelers," said Yu Xiufen, director of the administration.

"The 'language barrier-free' project covering public signs and official websites will be promoted, and service personnel at airports, railway stations, cruise terminals, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and taxis will be asked to provide smile service," said Yu.

More international routes to the city will be opened with flights increased, and more POS machines that offer foreign currency services will be set up in areas with a large number of overseas tourists, she said.

High-quality high-speed railway tour routes around the Yangtze River Delta will be developed, and a tourist card providing convenience to travelers when touring in the region will be released.

The city's intelligent tourism service will be upgraded with a project known as "tour in Shanghai with a single mobile phone" to be completed, merging information from food and accommodation to shopping and transportation.

The Huangpu River sightseeing tour will be given a further boost, with short cruise tours operated and a tourist dock in Yangpu District to be constructed. The service quality on cruise ships on the river will be lifted and the 45-kilometer Huangpu riverfront will be made more brilliant this year because of a landscape light illumination lifting program.

Tourist service and navigation systems at the city's countryside parks will be improved.

The tourism development blueprint of the Lingang area and Hongqiao area will be drafted this year.

Duty-free shops downtown and at cruise terminals and on-spot tax refund are on the agenda as well.

Shanghai received 8.94 million inbound tourists in 2018, an increase of 2.37 percent from a year earlier, according to the administration.