The 9th Hangzhou International Day opened on Sept 5, bringing together nearly 200 representatives from 24 countries, nine international organizations, international friendship cities, businesses, foreign residents, and young people.

As Hangzhou's technological innovations increasingly reach global markets, the city is also improving services for international visitors. It has been named one of the most attractive Chinese cities for foreign talent for 15 consecutive years.

At the event, Hangzhou presented progress in its digital services for international visitors. Since the "AI Hangzhou" platform was launched in 2024, services have expanded from one-stop assistance at the airport to multilingual AI-guided tours, convenient luggage delivery, contactless hotel check-in, streamlined payment, and digital tax refunds.

From March to May this year, Hangzhou introduced two additional services: international travelers can now obtain temporary driving permits and rent cars at the airport, with visitors from 12 countries and regions having used the service; and an online appointment and report-query system has been introduced for entry health checks, with more than 8,000 electronic verification certificates issued.

Hangzhou has also introduced an upgraded departure tax refund policy, including spot checks for small-value refunds and paperless processing.

The improvements are attracting more visitors to stay longer. From January to August this year, more than 300,000 international trips entered Hangzhou through its ports, up over 13 percent year-on-year, while more than 160,000 entered under visa-free arrangements, up over 22 percent. Overnight inbound visits reached 1.08 million in the first seven months, up 50.1 percent.