Tourists from European Union countries pose for a group photo in front of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Photo: Courtesy of China Tourism Group Travel Services Co, Ltd

Claims for departure tax refunds by overseas visitors to China surged 285 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2025, according to data released by the State Taxation Administration (STA) at a regular press briefing on Monday.

Sales of goods eligible for tax refunds and total refund amounts rose 98.8 percent year-on-year. As of the end of November, there were 12,252 tax-refund shops nationwide, with more than 7,000 offering "refunds upon purchase," making the process more convenient for foreign travelers, the STA said.

The continued improvement of tax-refund services is helping better meet the needs of overseas visitors and further enhancing the rising allure of "China travel," the administration said.

An employee at DJI's flagship store in Beijing told the Global Times that action cameras and drones have become star products among foreign customers. "Since China rolled out more open visa and travel policies, more and more overseas visitors have been inquiring about and purchasing related products," the employee said, adding that tax refunds can be processed directly at the store.

Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, told the Global Times on Monday that the surge in tax refunds underscores China's commitment to opening-up, noting that the country welcomes global visitors with an increasingly open and inclusive mindset.

Liu said that the tax-refund program is attracting more international travelers, whose spending on food, accommodation, transport and shopping generates substantial economic value. The expansion of "refunds upon purchase" services is further unlocking consumption potential by making it easier for visitors to shop in China. With China's growing strength in mid- to high-end manufacturing, more overseas consumers are choosing China as a destination for travel and shopping, Liu noted.

The growth in foreign travelers claiming tax refunds is driven by the policy-fueled increase in inbound arrivals and ongoing improvements to tax-refund services, experts said.

China's expanding visa-free arrangements with multiple countries, including Russia, further boost cultural and business exchanges, Liu said. These measures contrast sharply with rising protectionism elsewhere and reinforce China's continued integration with the global economy, he said.

China has implemented unilateral or mutual visa-free policies with 76 countries, the People's Daily reported on Sunday.

According to figures released by the National Immigration Administration in October, immigration authorities nationwide inspected 510 million inbound and outbound traveler trips in the first three quarters of this year, up 14.3 percent year-on-year - a near record level. Foreign nationals made 20.134 million inbound and outbound trips in the third quarter, up 22.3 percent year-on-year.

In April, China unveiled new measures to optimize its departure tax refund policy to improve the shopping experience of overseas travelers.

The minimum purchase threshold for departure tax refunds has been lowered, allowing overseas travelers to apply for a refund if they spend at least 200 yuan ($27.75) at the same store on the same day and meet other relevant requirements, according to a circular jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and five other government departments. While ensuring proper risk management, refunds will be made available through multiple channels, including mobile payments, bank cards and cash, to better accommodate the diverse payment preferences of overseas travelers. The upper limit for cash refunds has been raised to 20,000 yuan, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

At the end of October, Chinese authorities issued a notice regarding improvements to the policies of duty-free shops aimed at boosting consumption. The measures mainly focus on four aspects, including optimizing the tax-refund and duty-free policies, as well as further expanding the range of products available in duty-free shops, according to Xinhua.