前9个月办理离境退税境外旅客人数同比增长229．8％

Core Insights - Since April, China's outbound tax refund policy has been continuously optimized, significantly boosting the consumption activity of foreign travelers [1][2] - From January to September this year, the number of foreign travelers applying for tax refunds increased by 229.8%, while the refund amount rose by 97.4% [1] Group 1: Policy Enhancements - The State Taxation Administration issued a notice on April 8 to promote the "immediate refund upon purchase" service nationwide, enhancing convenience for travelers [1] - On April 26, six government departments jointly released a notification to further optimize the tax refund policy and expand inbound consumption [1] - The tax refund management measures were revised on April 27 to simplify the refund process and improve the experience for foreign travelers [1] Group 2: Service Improvements - System functionalities have been optimized, allowing for more efficient tax refund processing with a 45% increase in efficiency due to new features like automatic invoice information retrieval and QR code data entry [2] - Cross-regional processing has been encouraged, allowing travelers to enjoy "immediate refund upon purchase" services even when shopping and departure locations differ, with several regions already implementing mutual recognition of services [2] - Innovative refund methods have been introduced, including centralized refund points in major shopping areas and new features for mobile refunds, enhancing the efficiency of tax refunds [2] Group 3: Future Outlook - The tax authorities aim to continuously optimize the outbound tax refund services to attract more foreign travelers to shop in China, thereby enhancing the potential of inbound tourism consumption [2]