Free shuttle buses pull up every few minutes to carry visitors up the winding road to Jingshan Mountain in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

At the information desk of the Da Jingshan Tourist Information Center, a staff member switches effortlessly from Mandarin to English to help travelers figure out which bus to take.

The sprawling Da Jingshan center complex, nestled at the foot of a mountain, is known for its thousand-year-old tea culture. Last year, its free shuttle buses carried 2.6 million passengers up and down the mountain. This year, the numbers are already on track to surpass that.

What makes the center stand out is that it has been operating this way for years, following the international standard for tourist information services that was published in 2024. The standard sets global benchmarks for how tourist information centers should serve visitors.

"The work we had already done met the standard," said Liu Yanli, the center's deputy manager, who has worked there since 2019.

That confidence reflects a broader shift in how China engages with global tourism rules.

Natalia Ortiz de Zarate, secretary of ISO/TC 228, describes the relationship as a "win-win".

"China contributes more projects and more initiatives, and also leads some working groups," she said. "At the same time, China adopts international standards. We all win with this relationship."

The Da Jingshan center reflects how international standards are being implemented on the ground. Beyond the free shuttles and multilingual signs, the center offers a full suite of services that align with ISO standards for detailed tourist information, destination promotion, accessible facilities, and trained staff who can answer questions about everything from bus schedules to local history.

One critical change took place in 2023 when the center stopped hiring external guides for its multilingual services.

"They could translate, but they didn't have a deep understanding of Jingshan culture," Liu said.

So the center built its own team of locally trained guides, who are young professionals and know not just the words but the stories behind the local tea fields, the temples and the centuries-old traditions. The feedback from international visitors improved immediately, she added.

During her recent visit to Hangzhou, Ortiz noted that China is no longer just a follower.

"China has moved from standard taker to standard maker," she said. "This is key for the future, because you write how you want the future of tourism to be."

Ortiz pointed to China's proactive approach in identifying gaps where new standards are needed. "China is very good at identifying gaps," she said.

Leonardo Persi, a Brazilian expert in adventure tourism standards, visited the Da Jingshan center during a recent trip and came away impressed. He noticed the accessibility features — the ramps, the clear signage, the spaces designed for elderly visitors and families with young children.

"Your spaces think about all kinds of visitors," he said.

Persi was particularly impressed by the balance between global standards and local character at the destinations in Hangzhou.

"It's a good thing that a country has to apply international standards, but we cannot lose our main cultural characteristics. If we do, everyone becomes like a robot. And that is the one thing all tourists do not want," he said.

Ortiz agreed on the need for balance. "The important thing is not only producing helpful standards, but also boosting their implementation. Otherwise, we will have a book of guidelines that is useful but not used," she added.