The Airport International Service Center at Hangzhou International Airport. [Photo/Tide News]

Zhejiang is seeing inbound tourist arrivals grow at about 20 percent a year, as the province rolls out measures to improve access and services for overseas visitors.

More port cities, including Wenzhou, Yiwu, and Zhoushan, have been added to the visa-free transit program. All six major ports in the province now offer the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, allowing travelers from 55 countries to stay for up to 10 days. Business visitors entering China via Guangdong, for example, can now travel onward to Hangzhou to visit West Lake or to Yiwu for trade.

The province has issued regulations to improve daily convenience for foreign business travelers, covering payment, transport, and accommodation services.

Zhejiang has also expanded visa services. With six additional county-level visa offices approved, the province now has 25 such service points, the highest number nationwide. It has set up 43 immigration service centers, enabling foreign residents to renew or replace visas and access related services locally.

International service centers at airports in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Wenzhou provide one-stop support, including SIM card services, bank card linking, mobile payment setup, customs health appointment booking, tourism information, and immigration policy consultation.

Hotels have upgraded their registration systems to speed up check-in for foreign guests. Online applications for tour group visas and bulk registration services have also been introduced.

Hotels across the province are now equipped with document readers that can process passports and other travel documents, allowing foreign guests to check in as easily as domestic travelers.

Zhejiang is also using digital tools to improve access to public services. After identity verification on the "Zheliban" platform, foreign residents can access services such as social security, healthcare, taxation, business registration, vehicle services, and housing provident fund accounts, and can use passports to purchase insurance.