Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Yao Gang) news: According to the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang received 2.29 million inbound tourists in the first half of the year, an increase of 120.49 percent over the same period last year, and achieved international tourism revenue of 1.77 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 252.43 percent over the same period last year.

Photo shows the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (Photo provided by the Media Convergence Center of Horgos City)

Xinjiang is seizing the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative, and has increased the openness of its tourism sector. It has developed inbound tourism by leveraging China's visa-free policy with many countries. Additionally, direct flights from Urumqi to numerous countries have been established and expanded.

According to the head of the Market Management Sector of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this year, Xinjiang has initiated an annual campaign to enhance the quality of tourism services, with a focus on promoting international tourism services and improving the convenience of inbound tourism.

Relevant departments are promoting the acceptance of international bank cards both online and offline to facilitate easy payments. Additionally, all tourist hotels rated three stars or above are now equipped with POS machines for international bank cards and have established foreign currency exchange points. A-level tourist attractions in Xinjiang are also equipped with similar facilities in stages.

Furthermore, hotels in Xinjiang are streamlining check-in procedures for inbound tourists to reduce waiting times and address accommodation concerns. Regarding tickets, the cultural and tourism departments require A-level tourist attractions in Xinjiang to offer online ticket booking and purchasing. They are also working on enabling the booking and purchasing functions of passport, Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, and other entry-exit document across various platforms, such as WeChat, apps, and mini-programs to cater to the needs of multilingual inbound tourists and simplify the booking process.

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