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With the countdown until the opening of the Beijing Olymmpics getting ever shorter, there’s a constant stream of news coming out of China that travelers both for the Olympics and for other reasons should be aware of. Some of the announcements will make life more pleasant for travelers, some more difficult and some are just plain amusing.
Hotel Rooms Still Available
With fewer tourists than expected making bookings for hotel rooms during the Olympic period, some hotels are reducing their room rates by as much as fifty per cent to try to fill up empty rooms. Four-star hotels in Beijing are only half booked up for the Olympic Games time, although some hoteliers aren’t so concerned - they say that Chinese tourists coming to Beijing for the Olympics are likely to book at the last minute.
Chinese People to Follow “Don’t Ask” List
Locals are being educated by posters about the etiquette of an average conversation with a Western tourist. The posters being displayed in areas close to the Forbidden City have a list of eight topics that Westerners would consider impolite in an initial conversation, including topics like religious beliefs, age, love life, marriage and jobs. The list seems almost exhaustive of all regular topics so it will be interesting to see how those abiding by the list manage to actually make conversation.
No More Business Visas for China Travel Next Month
Apparently the issue of business visas has been restricted since the beginning of this month, and now Chinese officials have announced that almost no business visas will be issued until after September 20. As well as receiving a much larger than usual number of applications by business people planning to visit China shortly, the Chinese government has said that they want to restrict the number of business visitors as one way to deal with security threats. It’s particularly difficult for people living in Hong Kong who have regularly traveled to China in the past and have been unable to get the usual multiple entry permits since March.
Using Credit Cards in China
There’s also been discussion about how tourists visiting China during the Olympics should get access to their money. Although credit card use in China has risen rapidly in recent years, and Olympic venues will largely be well-equipped to accept credit cards, there are still a majority of places where they won’t be accepted (or only Chinese-issued cards will be). So travelers to China should try a mix of methods for accessing money, especially cash, which is the most reliable method there.
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