Dong Jun / SHINE
Liu Chen, a deputy to the 16th Shanghai People’s Congress, and board director of the Shanghai-based artificial intelligence company Hehe Xinxi.
Can’t verify passports? Having trouble making appointments? A local legislator at the 16th Shanghai People’s Congress has suggested using technological means to enhance foreign visitors’ travel experience.
In 2024, China’s border inspection agencies handled 64.88 million foreign cross-border trips, surging 82.9 percent from 2023. Over 20 million of these were visa-free travelers, up 112.3 percent from the previous year, statistics from the National Immigration Administration showed.
In addition, Shanghai welcomed more than 6 million international travelers last year, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.
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International tourists enjoy the view and take photos at Shanghai’s landmark Yuyuan Garden.
“However, foreign tourists still face some common issues during their trips,” Liu Chen, a deputy from Jing’an District, said during the ongoing two sessions.
Liu, also board director of artificial intelligence company Hehe Xinxi, found that making reservations via mini-programs of some popular scenic spots is almost impossible because foreign passports are not accepted as an identity document.
“Currently, some paid attractions and cultural exhibition halls in Shanghai have their own mini-programs for ticket booking, and visitors need to make reservations in advance,” he noted.
“However, many foreign tourists have reported that the reservation processes require real-name authentication, and the registration process is relatively cumbersome. Some systems do not have an option for foreign passports, making it difficult to recognize and verify documents.”
Liu suggested providing foreign tourists with expanded options to register on mini-programs, streamlining unnecessary personal information, and introducing technological means such as AI and visual recognition to simplify the registration process. Additionally, practical issues such as multilingual translation should be addressed as well.
“For some popular venues, we can reserve a certain proportion of quotas for foreign tourists,” he said.
He also recommended adding a passport-based identity verification function on the Suishenban (Shanghai’s digital government service platform) mini-program or app.
“When services such as accommodation reservations, scenic spot bookings, payments, and banking transactions require the use of foreign tourists’ identity information, they can be directly accessed through the Suishenban platform.”
Liu also said the increase in tourists from non-English speaking countries posed a challenge for multilingual services.
He suggested promoting the use of multilingual translation devices at airports, train stations, restaurants, hotels, banks, scenic spots, shopping malls, and other venues or where there is a large presence of foreigners.
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Foreign visitors shop for makeup items in Shanghai.
,https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2501165687/