离境退税，海关提供更多新便利

Core Insights - The recent "May Day" holiday saw a significant increase in foreign tourist spending in China, largely attributed to the optimized departure tax refund policy [1] - The departure tax refund policy allows foreign travelers to receive VAT refunds on purchases made in designated stores when leaving the country [1] Group 1: Policy Optimization - The Chinese government has implemented measures to enhance the departure tax refund process, making it more convenient for foreign tourists [1][4] - The Ministry of Commerce and six other departments recently issued a notice to further optimize the departure tax refund policy to boost inbound consumption [1] Group 2: Implementation and Efficiency - Customs authorities across the country have introduced various initiatives to improve the departure tax refund service, including reducing waiting times for travelers [2] - At Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, customs has deployed multilingual staff and translation devices to assist travelers, aiming to keep average waiting times under 10 minutes [2] - Beijing Customs reported a 105.14% year-on-year increase in verified departure tax refund applications during the "May Day" period, with the total amount verified increasing by 155.81% [2] Group 3: Regional Developments - Shanghai Customs experienced a 2.6-fold increase in departure tax refund verification services during the holiday, implementing measures such as bilingual service positions and clear signage [3] - Tianjin Binhai Airport Customs has added prominent signage and verification equipment to streamline the departure tax refund process for travelers [5] Group 4: Future Directions - The General Administration of Customs plans to continue enhancing collaboration with relevant departments to provide more convenience for foreign travelers through optimized processes and additional guidance signage [5]