To implement the decisions and arrangements made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council and the requirements stipulated in the Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Further Optimizing Payment Services to Facilitate Payments, recently, the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) and the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) jointly issued the Notice on Further Optimizing Payment Services at Key Cultural and Tourism Venues to Facilitate Payments (hereinafter referred to as the Notice).

Aiming at better meeting the diversified payment service needs of the elderly, overseas visitors and other groups in cultural and tourism fields, the Notice requires cultural and tourism departments and cultural heritage authorities in various regions to strengthen coordination with local branches of the PBOC, identify key cultural and tourism venues, specify key merchants, and formulate work plans. Specifically, they are required to refine measures from the aspects such as continuously improving the environment for domestic and foreign bank card acceptance and cash use, enhancing the convenience of mobile payment, and strengthening publicity and promotion. Joint efforts should also be made in matching supply and demand as well as evaluation and supervision, so as to facilitate payments in the cultural and tourism field.

The Notice clearly states that all three-star-or-above tourist hotels, national 5A and 4A tourist attractions, national and provincial tourist resorts, as well as national tourism and leisure districts must accept domestic and foreign bank cards. Relevant business entities of key cultural and tourism venues should retain manual ticket windows and support cash payment, thus ensuring diversified payment options for consumers. Outlets providing foreign currency exchange services should be established at cultural and tourism venues with a large number of overseas visitors, so as to upgrade the foreign currency exchange services. In addition, mobile payment services  should be improved continuously, with streamlined business processes and enriched product functions, thereby further facilitating mobile payment in both online and offline scenarios at cultural and tourism venues.

Moving forward, the PBOC, the MCT, the SAFE, and the NCHA will work closely with local governments to urge and guide all parties in the financial sector and the cultural and tourism industry to collaboratively carry out various measures laid down in the Notice, thus continuously optimizing payment services for elderly people and overseas visitors to China, better serving people's well-being, improving the business environment, and promoting high-standard opening-up.