On the morning of June 3, 2025, the 2025 Beijing Inbound Tourism Development Conference kicked off. According to the information revealed at the conference, Beijing’s inbound tourism is showing a strong accelerating development trend, with a dual leap in both the scale of tourists and the consumption level. From January to April, the city received a total of 1.46 million inbound tourists, marking a remarkable 57.1% year-on-year increase. Tourism expenditure reached an impressive $1.9 billion, surging by 55%.​

Four Major Areas of Enhancement for Inbound Tourism Services​

In the morning, over 270 representatives of inbound tour operators from more than 40 countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, as well as representatives from international organizations such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), and the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF), attended the opening ceremony. Member units of Beijing’s inbound tourism mechanism, the cultural and tourism bureaus of 16 districts in Beijing, and the Publicity and Culture Department of the Economic – Technological Development Area showcased their best offerings at the conference.​

At the conference, the “Beijing Special Action Plan for Optimizing Inbound Tourism Services” was officially released. Based on the capital’s unique endowments, the Action Plan rolls out 22 practical measures in four key areas: products, promotion, services, and guarantees, aiming to create a new inbound tourism ecosystem where “nearby visitors are delighted, and distant ones are attracted”.​

Product Supply​

Efforts will be made to continuously enhance the influence of “the Grand Central Axis”. More featured and experiential tourism products will be developed, such as World Heritage Tours, Unique Hutong Tours, Central Axis Cycling Tours, Urban Night Tours, and Suburban Rural Tours, which allow visitors to feel the vibrant city atmosphere. The “Strolling in Beijing” tourism route brand will be further polished. Additionally, a number of deeply integrated cultural, commercial, sports, and tourism brand events will be cultivated, creating a consumption scene with “a theme every month and features everywhere”.​

Promotion​

The first English – version city map of China will be promoted, dynamically incorporating various resources such as culture and tourism, shopping, cuisine, events, communication, foreign currency services, real – time bus information, and tax refund locations.​

Service Improvement​

Beijing’s international aviation hub functions will be strengthened to make it a comprehensive, all – around gateway. The international route network layout of Beijing’s two airports will be expanded and optimized. The efficiency of inbound customs clearance will be improved, with streamlined registration processes. A special area for handling “temporary entry permits” will be set up, providing one – stop issuance services. The convenience measures for group tourist visas at ports will be optimized, enabling “online submission of materials and instant pickup upon arrival”. Moreover, more overseas bank cards will be supported for the “tap – to – pass” function in rail transit. The 24 – hour “Beijing Service” comprehensive service centers at Capital Airport and Daxing Airport will be continuously optimized, offering high – frequency services in four major themes: finance, communication, transportation, and culture and tourism. A centralized tax refund point for “buy – and – refund – on – the – spot” will be established in the city, pioneering a new service model of “city – wide tax refund, one – point handling” in China.​

More Convenient Metro Travel for Inbound Tourists​

To facilitate the travel of inbound tourists, following the implementation of direct “tap – to – pass” for bank cards such as UnionPay, Visa, and Mastercard, American Express (EC) and JCB cards from Japan will also be enabled for direct metro rides in Beijing by the end of June this year. In June, Visa, in collaboration with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), will conduct digital and business skills training for small and micro enterprises in Beijing’s cultural and tourism industry. Mastercard will launch a cashback campaign for overseas tourists when they use their cards for rides.​

Ctrip Group will upgrade the original free half – day BEIJING EXPRESS tour at Capital Airport into a one – stop comprehensive inbound tourism service center, providing comprehensive inbound tourism consultation, including guidance on airport facilities, planning of Beijing and surrounding attractions, recommendation of transportation options, ordering of communication network products, currency exchange guidance, payment tool instructions, and accommodation booking advice.​

Ten Theme Routes of “New Discoveries in Beijing” Unveiled​

At the conference, ten theme routes for inbound tourism, “New Discoveries in Beijing”, were released. For tourists who prefer in – depth cultural experiences, routes such as “Charm of the Central Axis · Culinary Exploration in the City” and “Tracing Ancient Paths · Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience” are offered. For those interested in exploring urban life, there are routes like “Future and Tradition · Urban Renewal” and “Exploring the Serene Alleys · Hutong Exploration”. For lovers of technology, art, and trendy play, routes such as “Leisurely Art Enjoyment by the Grand Canal” and “Trendy Night Tour along the Waterfront” are available. For tourists seeking ecological leisure vacations, there are “22℃ Summer · Refreshing Forest Oxygen” and “Ancient Towns, the Great Wall · Hot Spring Vacation” routes. For outdoor sports enthusiasts and adventurers, “Mountain Exploration · Hiking and Stargazing” and “Adventure on Lakes and Islands” routes are provided.​

In addition, Beijing has customized “Airport Surrounding Tours” product packages for short – stay inbound and visa – exempt transit tourists, launching a variety of half – day and one – day tour products covering cultural heritage, theme parks, cute animal attractions, gourmet shopping, and trendy art play. These route products are available for sale on the English website of China International Travel Service Head Office and the cultural and tourism zone of “Beijing Service” at Daxing Airport.