Tourists visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Favorable policies such as visa-free transit and a nationwide instant tax refund system are helping to make China an increasingly popular destination for international travelers, alongside strong global demand for "Made in China" products.

At a DJI store in Beijing's SKP mall on April 23, an American tourist browsed drones on his second visit to China.

The visitor said that he visited seven years ago, but the tax refund process wasn't nearly as convenient, adding that the instant tax refund system made shopping in China much easier, boosting his interest in buying more.

Experts say these policies are fueling increased interest in shopping among foreign visitors. They add that introducing more incentives, upgrading tourism and cultural offerings, and improving consumer services could further attract international tourists.

China expanded its visa-free policy to include nine additional countries in November 2024. Last December, the country extended the permitted stay for foreign travelers eligible for visa-free transit from 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours and increased the number of designated exit-entry ports for visa-free transit travelers to 60. By the end of 2024, China had established comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 25 countries and implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries.

According to China's National Immigration Administration, nearly 10.9 million inbound and outbound trips were made by Chinese and foreign nationals during this year's five-day May Day holiday, a peak period for travel. More than 1.1 million of these trips were made by foreign nationals, up 43.1 percent year on year. A total of 380,000 foreign national trips to China were made under visa-free travel policies, a year-on-year increase of 72.7 percent.

Interest in traveling to China continues to surge on social media, where hashtags like "China Travel" remain highly popular. The tourism boom is also driving a sharp rise in spending. During the first three days of the May Day holiday, Alipay, a major mobile payment platform in China, reported that spending by international tourists increased 180 percent year on year.

"Eased visa policies have significantly boosted international tourists' interest in visiting China," said Zhao Yonghua, a senior researcher at the School of Global and Area Studies at Renmin University of China.

Since April 8, international travelers have been able to receive tax refunds directly at the point of purchase in China.

"A lot more international tourists are shopping here now, with drones and action cameras especially popular," said a staff member at the DJI store in Beijing's SKP mall. As one of the first retailers in Beijing to implement both refund-upon-departure and refund-upon-purchase models, the number of shoppers claiming tax refunds at the mall rose 104 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.

The high quality of Chinese-made products is a major reason international tourists enjoy shopping in China.

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Li Siyao