With the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting approaching, the host city Shenzhen is rolling out a number of hospitality upgrades - from bilingual night market menus and volunteer services to smart baggage screening and fast tax refunds - to welcome a surging influx of international visitors.
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has introduced AI translation devices to assist international travelers. "It's very helpful. It's a good idea," said a foreign passenger.
In preparation for the APEC meeting, Shenzhen Customs has pioneered the use of pre-flight screening in the airport's international arrival area, integrating X-ray machines and CT-type baggage inspection equipment into the baggage sorting line. This allows for the screening of every piece of checked-in baggage before passengers retrieve it.
With the help of an intelligent image analysis system, high-risk luggage can be precisely identified, while the vast majority of luggage with no abnormalities is cleared immediately. Passengers' clearance time has been reduced to less than 15 minutes, and overall clearance efficiency has improved by over 60 percent thanks to these measures. And there's even more thoughtful service. If the passengers want a cup of coffee or bubble tea at the airport, they don't have to lug their heavy bags around searching for a shop. They can place an order on their phone, and within 10 minutes, a robot will deliver it right to the boarding gate.
In the alleys of Shenzhen, volunteers can be seen in many places.
Local authorities have offered a variety of training courses for citizen volunteers, covering topics such as etiquette and hospitality, as well as how to promote the city's image.
At the night markets in Futian Subdistrict, bilingual menus are now available. When foreign visitors arrive, everything is clear at a glance. The subdistrict has also prepared bilingual food recommendation guides, so that visitors know exactly what each shop offers and which dishes are the specialties. "We always feel a bit anxious or worried about not understanding what we want to order to eat. But having a bilingual and English option is really amazing," said a foreign tourist. Now, it's even more convenient for international visitors to shop in Shenzhen. They can link international bank cards to WeChat Pay for QR code payments, and when departing, self-service tax refund kiosks supporting 13 languages at airports and border crossings allow them to complete the process in just two or three minutes.
Shenzhen gears up for APEC with smarter clearance, warmer service, seamless payment
