Touching the Greater Bay Area: Guangzhou Airport well prepared to welcome international visitors

The third round of the "Touching the Greater Bay Area" cultural exchange program, co-organized by Guangdong Radio and Television and People's Daily Online (UK) commenced on Aug. 4, 2024, upon the arrival of four international students in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.

The four students are Li-xian Choong, Romano Tucci, and Rowan Humphreys from Cambridge University, and Zhu Bowen from Imperial College London. As they start an immersive and in-depth experience in the Greater Bay Area, they are welcomed by staff offering support for their travels.

Photo shows Rowan Humphreys (second to the left), Romano Tucci (center), and Li-xian Choong (second to the right) at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, in Guangzhou city, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

After the students landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, they quickly set up their WeChat accounts and mobile payment services at a booth in Terminal 2 offering assistance to foreigners.

WeChat Pay, the mobile payment platform developed by WeChat, and Alipay are two major mobile payment service platforms that are essential for convenient travel in China. Booth workers are in charge of assisting visitors in opening WeChat Pay and Alipay accounts, as well as helping them set up the car-hailing and public transportation services hosted on the two platforms.

According to Cui Ying, a product manager of the WeChat Pay team, the company has simplified the activation process of WeChat accounts and WeChat Pay for foreign individuals.

"Prior to the simplification, foreigners were required to upload their passports and bank cards. They also needed help from a friend with a WeChat account to complete the verification process. Now they only need to link their international bank cards. IDs are only required when their cumulative spending exceeds 15,000 yuan (approximately $2,095)," said Cui.

Photo shows Roman Humphreys at the foreign visitor payment information booth at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, in Guangzhou city, south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Guangzhou offers 144-hour visa free entry for passport holders from 54 countries. In the first half of the year, 8.54 million international visitors visited China under visa-free policies, according to China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA), marking a 190.1 percent year-on-year increase.

In addition to setting up the mobile payment platforms, international visitors are offered a wide range of services conducive to their travels at Terminal 2 of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. They can access brochures for Guangzhou tourist attractions and take part in a one-day complimentary city tour.

Photo shows the scenery of Guangzhou, in south China's Guangdong Province. (People's Daily Online/Tian Yi)

In the booth, a blue-colored desk offers a one-day exclusive city tour for transit passengers, free of charge. Visitors will visit six tourist attractions, including the Guangdong Museum, Chen Clan Academy, and Yuexiu Park. A Cantonese-style dim sum lunch is also included.

The tour runs every day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the tour organizers will return the travelers to Terminal 2 to continue on their journeys. GZL International Travel Service offers the tour.

For traveling enthusiasts or those with long layovers, a more comprehensive English brochure with tourist recommendations is also available at the airport. Tourist spots recommended include ancient villages, city center hotspots, camping sites, seasonal specialties, cultural heritages, and Cantonese food. The brochure also includes multiple traveling routes for visitors with different preferences.