From travel hotlines to homestay programs, Beijing is pulling out all the stops to accommodate the more than 1.5 million tourists from home and abroad expected to converge at the capital for next month's Olympics.

Latest statistics from the municipal tourism administration showed that the city has 5,794 hotels, providing 336,000 rooms, or 660,000 beds, for the Games.

"At present, 77 percent of five-star hotel rooms are booked, and the booking rate should be 80 percent during the Games," said the tourism administration's director, Zhang Huiguang, during the weekend.

Other three-and-four-star hotels still have half of their rooms available, she said.

Tourists arrive at Beijing's airport on Monday. More than half a million overseas visitors are expected for the Games. [China Daily]

More than 500,000 overseas tourists are expected to arrive in Beijing for the Olympics, instead of the official forecast of up to 450,000, experts have said.

The latest forecast is based on past Olympics, He Guangye, chairman of Asia-Pacific Tourism Organization, was quoted by the Workers' Daily newspaper Tuesday as saying.

Mainland tourists alone are expected to hit 1.1 million, with Olympic visitors likely to generate direct economic income of 116 billion yuan ($17 billion) for the host city.

A six-day Beijing tour package during the Games costs up to $6,000 alone, the Workers' Daily reported.

To help foreigners who might be targeted by illegal or unscrupulous travel operators, Zhang listed several ways for the visitors to obtain help and travel information. These include seeking help from about 600 information booths located throughout the city and dialing a "12301" national hotline for tourists.

Those who want to sign up for day tours of Beijing can also dial "8353-1111" to join authorized travel operators, she said.

Similarly, the administration will provide free brochures on the capital's attractions at the Beijing Capital International Airport's terminal buildings, and all hotels of three stars and above, Zhang said.

Homestay Scheme

To provide an additional platform for foreigners to get a taste of life in Beijing, the municipal tourism bureau has also arranged for homestay programs.

Wang Yi, a businessman who owns a siheyuan, or courtyard house, in downtown Dongcheng district, felt honored to be one of the 598 Beijing homeowners selected by the city authorities to host foreign tourists during the Olympic Games.

Covering an area of 300 sq m, Wang's hutong-style compound represents traditional Beijing architecture with a pair of stone lions standing on each side of the door, a carved screen-wall inside the gate and a corridor engraved with classic patterns and designs.