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ABC News
04-05-2025
- ABC News
Hotels in China continue to knock back foreign tourists
When Australian tourist Alice Jiao booked a hotel in Nanjing, a city in eastern China, she double-checked the online listing to make sure it accepted foreign guests before reserving her accommodation. But when Ms Jiao arrived at the Nanjing Rest Yizhi Hotel in February, hotel staff politely told her she could not stay there because the hotel only accepted foreigners with a Chinese permanent residence card. Exhausted from travelling, the unexpected rejection left Ms Jiao feeling anxious. "Of course, it felt unlucky to run into something like this," she said. Alice Jiao booked her hotel on Chinese app, Meituan. ( Supplied: Alice Jiao ) One year after Chinese authorities ordered hotels in China to accept all foreign tourists in a bid to boost inbound tourism, some hotels continue to turn international travellers away. Many tourists have taken to social media platforms like Reddit and Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, to share their experiences and vent their frustration. Other travellers from countries including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, and Russia have left reviews on platforms like warning other tourists to not repeat their mistakes. The tourists' experiences come as Chinese authorities attempt to rejuvenate the tourism sector with a raft of measures, including Relaxing tourist visa rules has been highly effective — in 2024, the country recorded 131.9 million inbound visits, a 61 per cent increase in visitor numbers from the previous year, according to a report by the China Tourism Academy. Policy and practice disconnect Nanjing Rest Yizhi Hotel apologised to Alice Jiao and offered her a refund. ( Supplied: CTrip ) Ms Jiao booked her stay through Meituan, a popular Chinese super-app that provides a range of services including food delivery and hotel and ticket booking. Nanjing Rest Yizhi Hotel apologised to Ms Jiao and offered her a refund, but the listing on the booking site continues to show the hotel accepts foreign guests. A hotel staff member told the ABC the hotel's policy was in line with local police rules, which stipulated small hotels can only accept guests with a permanent resident card, called a five-star card, in China. "Larger hotels can take passport holders. We are a low-cost hotel," they said. Meituan is a popular app in China that provides a range of services from food delivery to bike-sharing. ( Reuters: Florence Lo ) Under China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, hotels must register foreign guests and report their information to local police. Foreigners staying outside hotels must register with local police within 24 hours, either by themselves or through their hosts. Chinese law also previously required hotels to obtain special licenses to accommodate international tourists and travellers from Hong Kong and Macau. But this rule was gradually relaxed and officially scrapped in May 2024 as part of China's post-pandemic tourism reforms. Photo shows A smiling lady in a pink hat and top waves her hands as she stands in crowd in bright sun outside Federal Parliament. Under the new arrangement announced by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australians will be able to travel to China for up to 15 days without the need to apply and pay for a visa. The May joint notice from China's Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Commerce, and National Immigration Administration said hotels must not reject foreign guests under the excuse of lacking foreign-related licenses. Sam Huang, a tourism researcher at Edith Cowan University, said the current government policy was more of a guideline than a mandate and was not enforced by some local authorities. "In practice, central government policies don't always align with how local authorities regulate hotels," explained Dr Huang, who has worked at China's National Tourism Administration. Smaller, independent budget hotels were used to serving local Chinese travellers and often struggled to accommodate international tourists because of language barriers and outdated systems that struggle to register foreign passports. Hotels need clearer ads Emily Qin travelled to China in January. ( Supplied: Emily Qin ) Malaysian tourist Emily Qin was also knocked back from a hotel in China in January. Ms Qin booked the Royal International Apartment, near a major airport in Guangzhou, through Meituan but was turned away at check-in. "[It was] my first shocking booking experience of 2025," she said. Ms Qin explained there was nothing on the hotel listing about foreign tourists, and said hotels should clearly state what guests they accepted. The Guangzhou Royal International Apartment has updated its listing to say it does not accept foreign travellers. ( Supplied: Ctrip ) Ms Qin said the hotel's policy could pose a "big problem" for elderly travellers and young families. When Ms Qin initially asked for a refund, the hotel told her to request it through Meituan. But after a dispute, she secured a full refund directly from the hotel. A staff member from the Royal International Apartment told the ABC it had always stated its policy regarding foreign guests on Meituan since it opened. But Ms Qin insisted she didn't see the note when she booked. Meituan did not respond to the ABC's request for comments in relation to both Ms Qin and Ms Jiao's experiences. Call to confirm booking The ABC found multiple hotel listings on China-based online platforms including Meituan, Ctrip, and Qunar, that stated they only accepted guests with a valid Resident Identity Card, an ID for mainland Chinese citizens. However, often the same listings on global platforms like did not have that information. A review on says the hotel refused foreign guests. ( Supplied: ) For example, on the 7Days Premium Chengdu Giant Panda Base hotel said it only accepted guests with a Resident Identity Card, but the same listing on did not include this information. When the ABC called 7Days Premium Chengdu to ask about the discrepancy, a front desk staffer said they were not aware of the listing on The ABC contacted for comment. Mingming Cheng, a professor of marketing at Curtin University, said the discrepancy in information between global platforms and local hotels was common. "Local Chinese online travel agencies integrate better with domestic hotel systems," Dr Cheng said. "But many hotels don't understand what information international platforms required. There are also translation errors." In Xi'an, a major tourist city in China, there are at least 52 hotels within 500 meters of the popular Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City. Only 15 hotels accept foreign guests, and just two are budget hotels, according to an ABC analysis of hotels listings on Ctrip. Photo shows Four people standing in front of a shop sign in Chinese Starting this month, Australians travelling to China will no longer need to apply for a visa, but some challenges and inconveniences remain for foreign travellers when it comes to paying in the largely cashless society. Travel agency The China Guide suggested foreign tourists choose a hotel that was rated a minimum of four stars because they usually have more experience with international guests. For smaller or budget hotels, the agency recommended reading listings and reviews carefully and calling ahead to confirm. Travellers who find themselves rejected by the hotel could also refer the hotel to the government's notice that they must accept foreign tourists. In some cases, they could call the police for assistance, though this might cause further delays or inconvenience, the travel agency said. Dr Cheng said Chinese authorities and industry groups should encourage hotels to adopt a more welcoming approach toward foreign guests. He said small hotels need financial support and training to better accommodate international travellers. "Chinese hotels need a culture shift like during the 2008 Beijing Olympics — to treat foreign visitors as welcome guests, not as a burden," he said. The ABC contacted the Chinese government for this story but did not receive a response.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aboard the 'silver train', China's retirees do their bit to offset Trump's tariffs
Beijing insists it will stand firm in the face of Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods. It has been trying to reassure everyone that the country is strong and the economy is resilient enough to weather this latest storm. But this week, Chinese officials have acknowledged the potential for economic pain as a result of the unfolding trade war with the US. One option for policymakers here is to try to increase domestic consumption to make up for lost export revenue. China has a massive population and, if they start buying more stuff, Chinese companies won't have to rely as much on trade overseas. A key target in this endeavour are retirees with potentially decades of savings. Now the government wants them to spend some of it - for the good of the country. And initiatives like the "silver train" - which are tailored specifically to older travellers - aim to do just that. On board the Star Express, the cocktails are poured and the karaoke microphone is passed around, as retirees party their way through China's south-western Yunnan province. The roast goose is being devoured with shots of baijiu, a Chinese white spirit alcohol. "We have been working hard all these years," says 66-year-old Daniel Ling, who is travelling with a group of retired or semi-retired friends. "The important thing when we reach this age, is to know what is the right thing to do - and that is to really enjoy life." The initiative hopes to turn an economic problem into an economic solution by giving older people a fun avenue to spend more. Families are not spending enough because they don't feel financially safe - the property crisis has diminished the value of their number one asset: their home. And growing unemployment has also potentially made their job less secure. Add to the mix an ageing population and low birthrates and the proportion of retirees grows each year, making it harder for the economy to support them. But what retirees do have is time on their hands and money to spend. So now they are to be given more opportunities to splurge with special trains designed to take them to sites they might not normally visit - parts of the country further afield, which need a financial shot in the arm. "The main places where the silver trains will stop are undeveloped rural areas or small towns with struggling economies," says Dr Huang Huang, a research associate from the China Tourism Academy who has been studying the potential impact of this plan. "They will consume various products on the trains, but after they pull into a station, they will also visit tourist attractions and traditional villages." In Baisha, the travellers stop by the modest street stalls at the bottom of old, two-storey, wooden houses built by the local Naxi ethnic minority. One of them approaches a vendor selling barbecued strips of yak meat. They look tasty and she buys a bagful. The vendor's husband, who is also working at the stall, says this business is only a year old and that they need outside customers to survive. All along this street you can get potatoes with spicy sauce, lamb skewers, fresh orange juice and the traditional clothing of the Naxi people. This is a region where incomes are low and most young people leave when they reach a certain age because there are hardly any jobs for them. It is also not an easy place for many retirees to reach, but these silver trains make it possible, with easy access to boarding and alighting, and with staff to help as well as extra medical support if required. Shi Lili, 69, whose granddaughter is accompanying her, says the travelling spirit of her youth has been rekindled: "When I was young I really liked exploring other places by myself. Now I'm older, I have my family who can go with me." By the end of last year, 22% of China's population were over the age of 60, making up more than 310 million people. So, if only the smallest percentage of China's retirees take a silver train, it can still mean millions of ticket sales. And China's railway authorities say they plan to be operating 100 routes within the next three years. Such trips alone are not going to fix China's massive challenge with low consumer spending. But economists would say these moves are a step in the right direction. Older citizens now have a much greater desire to travel compared to previous generations, creating "huge potential", according to Dr Huang. "Given that China's ageing population is now a reality going into the long run - something which is unlikely to the reversed - we should find more opportunities from this rather than always turning it into a challenge." Back on board the train, the silver adventurers are ready to crash out. And they can do so knowing that their big day out was - at least partly - for the benefit of all. Then it's onto the next town. Should China worry about its shrinking population? China will have 300 million pensioners. Can it afford them? Why is China spending billions to get people to open their wallets?
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Aboard the 'silver train', China's retirees do their bit to offset Trump's tariffs
Beijing insists it will stand firm in the face of Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods. It has been trying to reassure everyone that the country is strong and the economy is resilient enough to weather this latest this week, Chinese officials have acknowledged the potential for economic pain as a result of the unfolding trade war with the option for policymakers here is to try to increase domestic consumption to make up for lost export has a massive population and, if they start buying more stuff, Chinese companies won't have to rely as much on trade overseas.A key target in this endeavour are retirees with potentially decades of the government wants them to spend some of it - for the good of the country. And initiatives like the "silver train" - which are tailored specifically to older travellers - aim to do just that. On board the Star Express, the cocktails are poured and the karaoke microphone is passed around, as retirees party their way through China's south-western Yunnan province. The roast goose is being devoured with shots of baijiu, a Chinese white spirit alcohol."We have been working hard all these years," says 66-year-old Daniel Ling, who is travelling with a group of retired or semi-retired friends."The important thing when we reach this age, is to know what is the right thing to do - and that is to really enjoy life." The initiative hopes to turn an economic problem into an economic solution by giving older people a fun avenue to spend are not spending enough because they don't feel financially safe - the property crisis has diminished the value of their number one asset: their home. And growing unemployment has also potentially made their job less to the mix an ageing population and low birthrates and the proportion of retirees grows each year, making it harder for the economy to support what retirees do have is time on their hands and money to spend. So now they are to be given more opportunities to splurge with special trains designed to take them to sites they might not normally visit - parts of the country further afield, which need a financial shot in the arm."The main places where the silver trains will stop are undeveloped rural areas or small towns with struggling economies," says Dr Huang Huang, a research associate from the China Tourism Academy who has been studying the potential impact of this plan."They will consume various products on the trains, but after they pull into a station, they will also visit tourist attractions and traditional villages." In Baisha, the travellers stop by the modest street stalls at the bottom of old, two-storey, wooden houses built by the local Naxi ethnic of them approaches a vendor selling barbecued strips of yak meat. They look tasty and she buys a bagful. The vendor's husband, who is also working at the stall, says this business is only a year old and that they need outside customers to along this street you can get potatoes with spicy sauce, lamb skewers, fresh orange juice and the traditional clothing of the Naxi people. This is a region where incomes are low and most young people leave when they reach a certain age because there are hardly any jobs for is also not an easy place for many retirees to reach, but these silver trains make it possible, with easy access to boarding and alighting, and with staff to help as well as extra medical support if Lili, 69, whose granddaughter is accompanying her, says the travelling spirit of her youth has been rekindled: "When I was young I really liked exploring other places by myself. Now I'm older, I have my family who can go with me." By the end of last year, 22% of China's population were over the age of 60, making up more than 310 million if only the smallest percentage of China's retirees take a silver train, it can still mean millions of ticket sales. And China's railway authorities say they plan to be operating 100 routes within the next three trips alone are not going to fix China's massive challenge with low consumer spending. But economists would say these moves are a step in the right direction. Older citizens now have a much greater desire to travel compared to previous generations, creating "huge potential", according to Dr Huang."Given that China's ageing population is now a reality going into the long run - something which is unlikely to the reversed - we should find more opportunities from this rather than always turning it into a challenge."Back on board the train, the silver adventurers are ready to crash out. And they can do so knowing that their big day out was - at least partly - for the benefit of it's onto the next town.
