Inbound trips to Beijing up 187 pct in 2024

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- In 2024, the Chinese capital Beijing has seen 3.94 million inbound tourism trips, up 186.8 percent year-on-year and equivalent to 88.9 percent of the total for 2019, said local authorities on Monday.

Of these trips, 729,000 were made by residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, up 10.3 percent compared to that in 2019, while 3.21 million were made by foreigners, 85.1 percent of the figure for 2019, data from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism shows.

Last year, Beijing facilitated transportation, accommodation, shopping and payments, among other factors, to boost services for inbound travelers. The municipality also provided new tourism offerings, such as strolling and cycling along the Central Axis, and lantern festival activities, which attracted numerous foreigners, according to the bureau.

To satisfy the personalized demands of foreign tourists, travel agency CYTS International Travel Co., Ltd. has provided trip plans such as Tai Chi lessons and cooking classes, as well as a "Citywalk" option, which involves tours of the city on foot. Scenic spots, such as the Mutianyu Great Wall, have made improvements in language and payment services.