Hotels told not to turn away foreign guests

The Chinese authorities have emphasized that domestic hotels cannot turn away foreign nationals on the grounds of being unable to process related paperwork.

The authorities were responding to online complaints by foreigners about the inconvenience they face in finding hotel accommodation in the Chinese mainland.

On Friday, a post on the central government's website said that people from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and some other countries had reported being turned away from some hotels that said they lacked "foreign-related qualifications" or "did not know how to enter information into the system".

It said the issue is particularly prevalent in small cities and budget hotels, and causes significant inconvenience.

The Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Commerce and the National Immigration Administration replied to the complaints forwarded by the website.

The Ministry of Public Security and the National Immigration Administration said they are working with the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other industry regulatory departments to study related measures and find suitable solutions.

The Ministry of Commerce has asked the China Hospitality Association to facilitate accommodation of foreign nationals, focusing on strengthening the study of laws and regulations by hotels, improving reception, and enhancing staff training to offer better foreigner-related services and provide more convenience for foreigners visiting China or living in the country.

According to regulations, hotels need to apply for a license from the local public security organ to prove that it has the necessary qualifications and conditions to receive foreigners.

If the hotel plans to host foreign tour groups, it also needs to apply for a license from the local tourism office. This certificate proves that the hotel is qualified to provide services for foreign tour groups. The hotel is also required to purchase relevant insurance to ensure that the risks and contingencies that may arise during the stay of foreign guests are properly handled.

The hotel also needs to provide other facilities such as international long-distance calls, international television channels, menus and signages written in Chinese and English, as well as employees who can converse in English.

Meanwhile, the authorities are also coordinating with online platforms to offer hotel employees English courses, free language training for registration and booking and other related skills.

The Ministry of Public Security said public security organs across the nation will further optimize the management and service work related to the accommodation registration of foreign nationals.

According to China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, when foreigners stay in hotels, the hotels have to handle the registration of accommodation for them in accordance with relevant regulations and report their registration information to the local public security authorities.

The regulations on public security administration of the hospitality industry stipulate that hotel operators must register the guests' stay and verify their identification documents. When accommodating foreign guests, they have to submit the registration forms to the local public security authorities within 24 hours.

Over the past decade, China has eased quality review and license-issuing procedures for hotels receiving international travelers.

The Chongming district in Shanghai has taken steps to optimize hotel services for international travelers. In a notice issued last month, the district's public security bureau said that homestays can apply to the local police station in order to receive international travelers, and the immigration department will offer training and review the quality of services for the purpose.

The number of foreigners coming to China in the first quarter of this year increased by more than threefold compared with the same period in 2023. A total of 466,000 visas were issued to foreigners, up 118.8 percent year-on-year. Additionally, nearly 1.99 million foreigners entered China visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 266.1 percent, according to the data released by China's National Immigration Administration on April 18.

Contact the writers at yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn