“中国游”“中国购”持续升温 旅行服务快速增长

Core Insights - China's service trade has shown strong growth in the first half of the year, particularly in travel services, which reached 1,080.29 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.3%, making it the largest sector in service trade [1] - Travel service exports have surged by 68.7%, marking it as the fastest-growing area within service trade [1] Group 1: Policy Impact - The growth in travel services is attributed to optimized policies such as departure tax refunds and transit visa exemptions, which have enhanced China's attractiveness as a tourist destination [1] - The expansion of China's visa-free "circle" has contributed to the rising popularity of "China tours" [2] Group 2: Visitor Statistics - In the first half of the year, the number of foreign visitors entering and exiting China reached 38.053 million, a year-on-year increase of 30.2%, with visa-free entrants totaling 13.64 million, up 53.9% [2] Group 3: Policy Measures - In April, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments issued measures to further optimize departure tax refund policies, including lowering the refund threshold to 200 yuan and promoting "immediate refund" services nationwide [2] - The number of departure tax refund stores exceeded 7,200, an increase of approximately 80% compared to the end of 2024 [2] Group 4: Regional Initiatives - Local governments are launching initiatives to enhance the travel service environment, such as Shanghai's plan to become a benchmark city for departure tax refunds by improving service quality and product variety [3] Group 5: Future Recommendations - To further enhance the competitiveness of China's travel services, recommendations include optimizing entry and exit policies, deepening cultural and tourism integration, and improving service quality through better training for industry professionals [3]