Local authorities are deploying measures to convert inbound tourism into retail
demand: expanding the 240-hour transit visa-free policy, accelerating rollout of
immediate departure tax refunds, broadening merchant acceptance of foreign bank
cards and mobile payments, and adding multilingual shopping guides in key
districts. Beijing’s Xiushui Street operator said 1H footfall rose sharply,
recording over 4.3 mln inbound visitors and about 2.0 bln yuan in inbound sales
in 1H, up 550% and 350% YoY respectively. Nationally, inbound foreign arrivals
reached 22.914 mln in 1H 2026, +20.4% YoY; visa-free arrivals were 17.815 mln
(77.7% share), +30.6% YoY. Tourism flows are increasingly translating into
consumption gains.
