China seeks to fine-tune its inbound tourist industry

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Commerce has said on Thursday China is seeking to maximize the ease with which tourists access dining, accommodation, transport, shopping and entertainment services while visiting the country.

He Yongqian made the remarks after China unveiled a 16-point policy package aimed at expanding inbound travel and consumption, with measures spanning visa facilitation, payment convenience, multilingual services and streamlined tax refunds.

The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Commerce and other government agencies earlier this month, has come in step with a surge in popularity of international travel to China, with travel service exports reaching 393.98 billion yuan ($57 billion) in 2025, a 49.5 percent year-on-year increase that made it the fastest-growing segment of services exports.

Despite the rapid growth, travel service exports still trail imports, He said, adding that the new policy package seeks to further unlock the potential of the tourist trade and turn China into a globally attractive destination for travelers.

Efforts will be made to remove bottlenecks in dining, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment for tourists, while further enhancing convenience across payment, tax refunds, communication, touring and ticketing, He said.

"The goal is to encourage more international travelers to want to come, be able to come, and be willing to return to China," He added.