北京“双枢纽”机场离境退税金额创新高 China travel带火“入境购”

Core Insights - The article highlights the increasing trend of inbound tourism in China, driven by the optimized departure tax refund policy and the growing popularity of "China travel" transforming into "China shopping" [1][2] Group 1: Departure Tax Refund Policy - The departure tax refund policy allows foreign travelers to reclaim VAT on purchases made in designated stores when leaving China, with a refund rate of 11% [1] - In the first four months, the Beijing Customs verified 8,075 departure tax refund applications, totaling approximately 369 million yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 114.82% and 79.41% respectively [1][2] - The Ministry of Commerce and other departments announced measures to optimize the departure tax refund policy, including lowering the minimum purchase amount for refunds to 200 yuan [2] Group 2: Inbound Tourism Growth - The implementation of a 240-hour visa-free transit policy significantly boosted the number of foreign travelers to China, with 7.07 million travelers recorded in the first four months, a year-on-year increase of 22.3% [2] - The number of flights at Beijing's two major airports reached 40,622, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 23.9% [2] Group 3: Enhanced Traveler Experience - Beijing Customs introduced measures to streamline the departure tax refund verification process, enhancing the convenience for travelers [3] - During the recent "May Day" holiday, the number of departure tax refund applications at the two major airports increased by 105.14%, with the total amount growing by 155.81% year-on-year [3] - Customs officials reported a significant increase in the volume of departure tax refund applications, necessitating the establishment of multiple verification points at the airports [3][4]