Foreign tourists pose for photos at Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China on May 3, 2025. The Temple of Heaven became a popular tourist spot for foreign visitors during the Labor Day holiday. Photo: VCG

The number of tax refund stores catering to foreign visitors in China had exceeded 10,000 at the end of August, three times the number at the end of 2024, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said on Wednesday. 

From January to August, the number of people enjoying tax refunds upon departure increased by 248 percent and the tax refund sales increased by 98 percent, Sheng added. 

The remarks were made during a press conference after multiple Chinese ministries on Tuesday unveiled a series of policy measures to expand service consumption, including through expanded eligibility for five-year multiple-entry visas.

"From the tax refunds on departure to the visa-free policies, and from the diversification of consumption scenarios to the internationalization of the consumption environment, we will strive to make global consumers' journeys more convenient, their experiences more enjoyable, and their purchases more cost-effective, allowing them to discover a China that is more open, inclusive, diverse, and innovative," Sheng said. 

Foreign tourists' bookings during the National Day holiday have covered nearly 100 cities in China, data from travel platform Qunar.com said. 

The top three most popular destinations among foreign travelers are Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. The cities with the highest growth in flight bookings by foreign tourists in the top three are Hefei, Quanzhou and Guiyang, the platform said.

In terms of countries of origin, the top three countries with the highest growth in inbound foreign tourists during the National Day holidays are Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Spain, it said.

China's airports are witnessing robust growth in both inbound and outbound passenger traffic amid the travel boom, fueled by surging travel demand.

According to the latest data shared by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism released on Monday, the number of inbound tourists to Beijing reached 446,000 in August, a year-on-year increase of over 30 percent. The main source countries included Russia and the US. 

Air China said on Monday that its global network of more than 1,200 destinations, including 71 routes connecting countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

To better promote the inbound travel, Air China signed a cooperation agreement under the "Hello, China" Inbound Tourism Partnership Program with the China Center for International Cultural and Tourism Exchange.

The agreement introduces a comprehensive, end-to-end service package for international visitors, including multilingual digital tools pre-flight, seamless connections and personalized services in-flight, and smooth ground-to-air coordination post-arrival.

For the coming holidays, Cathay Pacific said it will also increase the flying capacity. 

In Beijing, it will increase 7 to 8 daily return flights to Beijing Capital International Airport. Together with a daily flight to Beijing Daxing International Airport operated by HK Express, the Cathay Group will operate a total of 9 daily return flights to Beijing's two major international airports.

In Shanghai, the airline will increase from 11 to 12 return flights per week to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Along with 8 daily return flights to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Cathay Pacific will operate close to 70 return flights per week between Hong Kong and Shanghai's two international airports.

Official data showed that in the first half of this year, the number of foreigners entering China through various ports nationwide exceeded 19 million, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent, among which visa-free entries reached 13.64 million, a year-on-year increase of 54 percent.

In April this year, the country introduced a package of measures to optimize the tax refund policy, including lowering the minimum purchase threshold for refunds, raising the cash refund ceiling, expanding the network of participating stores, and broadening the range of products covered. 

Global Times