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PalawOne pasted & shared . . . . China sees surge in sales of duty-free goods amid inbound tourism boom
China has expanded a scheme allowing foreign tourists to claim tax refunds on a range of purchases, as it strives to attract more visitors



China sees surge in sales of duty-free goods amid inbound tourism boom

China has expanded a scheme allowing foreign tourists to claim tax refunds on a range of purchases, as it strives to attract more visitors


China to speed up bullet-train connectivity with neighbours
China鈥檚 visa-free policy pays dividends as overseas entries soar in 2025


By Mia Nulimaimaitiin London Published: 4:46pm, 10 Jul 2025


Major Chinese cities have reported a surge in purchases of tax-refundable goods by foreign tourists in recent months, as new duty-free rules designed to boost tourism spending begin to pay off.

China has introduced a string of measures to make it easier for international tourists to buy goods duty-free in recent months, with visitors now often able to claim sales tax refunds immediately in stores rather than having to queue at the airport.

The scheme is part of China鈥檚 broader drive to attract more inbound tourists, which has seen the country rapidly expand a visa-free entry policy that has led to a dramatic uptick in visitors.

In Shanghai, sales of tax-refundable goods jumped 85 per cent year on year in the first half of 2025, with the number of 鈥渂uy now, refund now鈥� transactions surging 28-fold, according to figures released by the city鈥檚 municipal government last week.

China introduced a more generous tax-refund policy for inbound tourists in late April, lowering the minimum purchase threshold from 500 yuan (US$69) to 200 yuan. The government has also expanded the number of localities and stores where visitors can claim refunds.

Sales of tax-free goods to inbound visitors in Beijing have averaged more than 100 million yuan per month so far this year, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Monday.

The growing sales are also being driven by a boom in inbound tourist numbers as China aggressively expands its visa-free entry policies, with citizens of 47 countries now able to stay in the country without a visa for up to 30 days.


Shanghai welcomed 4.25 million inbound visitors in the first half of 2025, up 38.5 per cent from a year earlier, according to municipal authorities. The figures include visits by residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

In Beijing, the number of inbound tourist arrivals rose to 2.46 million in the first half of the year, a 48.8 per cent year-on-year increase.

The surge in visitors has helped China鈥檚 inbound tourism sector recover from the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, when tight border policies, visa hurdles and a lack of convenient digital payment options led to a dramatic downturn in tourist numbers.

In 2023, China received just 35.5 million foreign tourists 鈥� roughly 36 per cent of the total recorded in 2019 鈥� but international visitor numbers have since bounced back to about 70 to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to James Liang, the co-founder and chairman of Chinese online travel firm Trip.com.

In an article published last week, Liang called on Chinese authorities to launch more ambitious policies to drive up inbound tourism, arguing that the sector still had huge potential for growth.

In China, inbound tourism revenues account for less than 0.5 per cent of the country鈥檚 gross domestic product, compared with 1 to 2 per cent in the United States, he said. If China could match the US benchmark, 鈥渢his would represent a potential market increase of about 1 to 2 trillion yuan 鈥� presenting a massive opportunity鈥�, Liang said.

China has made progress in resolving several issues that used to put off foreign tourists, such as complex visa processes and payment issues, according to Liang. But there is still plenty of room for improvement.

鈥淲e still need to focus on overcoming constraints in areas like internet access restrictions for foreign tourists, overseas promotion and marketing, and offering online visa applications for countries without visa exemptions,鈥� he said.

By Mia Nulimaimaiti SCMP

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(SCMP) South China Morning Post

Copilot opinions ..

"This feels like a turning point where China isn鈥檛 just welcoming tourists鈥攊t鈥檚 actively engineering a more frictionless, consumer-friendly experience.

If they continue resolving pain points like digital payments and connectivity, they could redefine what inbound tourism looks like in Asia.

Would you say this is more about economic stimulus or soft power projection?"聽 (end quote)

Thanks Copilot.

Perhaps both?

聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Still not interested in traveling to China, USA聽 citizen still requires a visa.聽 They cannot lure me economically to their land, Hong Kong was good enough for me.聽 Will not help fund the enemy.

Why go to China to buy counterfeit goods, you can stay home and do it.

Why go to China to buy counterfeit goods, you can stay home and do it. - @Enzyte Bob

I have been to Shenzhen and Beijing a number of times on my previous job. For tourism it really isn't that great. I guess you can see the great wall and the small terracotta statue army but mist things you see are post Mao. The cultural revolution destroyed much of the traditional beauty that you can see in Taiwan. Hong Kong is one big shopping mall but it is a great place to visit and the only place I would care to go. Maybe the 8 hoir train ride to Tibet is worth it, who knows, but that's about it. Want to go see the guards and Mao's聽 portraut at Tiannenman Square? Go for it. Kind of boring.

I commissioned a manufacturing plant near Badaling near the Great Wall and Beijing in the mid 90s. I visited both the palaces in Beijing and the summer palace. I was amazed both palaces had multiple concubine houses. That's tough. The emperor has to make a choice everyday. Watch the movie 'Raise The Red Lantern'.