Guangzhou reports increased spending by foreign visitors

Improved payment efficiency for international visitors to Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, has led to an increased number of transactions by foreigners being recorded in the first quarter of this year.

In the first three months of 2026, the number of transactions and the total amount spent by foreign visitors in the city using overseas bank cards and mobile payments increased by 85 percent and 69 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to Zhang Shuangchang, deputy governor of Guangdong Branch of the People's Bank of China.

"We have focused on improvement of the quality and efficiency of payment services throughout the entire process from entry to departure for foreign nationals, aiming to provide them with a more convenient, efficient and diverse payment experience," said Zhang.

Zhang made the remarks during a press conference on Guangdong's financial development over the first quarter of this year, on Thursday.

"Focusing on six high-frequency scenarios — dining, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping and entertainment — we have comprehensively enhanced the convenience of foreign card transactions, mobile payments, cash payments and foreign currency exchange," said Zhang.

For instance, in terms of transportation, efforts have been made to enable metro services in the city to support foreign bank cards for tap-and-go access.

"Foreigners with cards like Visa and MasterCard can scan their cards for seamless entry without the need to queue for tickets," said Zhang.

By the end of the first quarter, there had been over 230,000 tap-and-go transactions with foreign cards in the city's metro network, according to Zhang.

In addition, authorities have optimized the payment service in consumer-friendly business environment by launching exclusive promotional activities for foreign visitors.

For example, Guangdong UnionPay has introduced promotional activities for foreigners visiting the ongoing China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, covering over 2,600 merchants across the city.