China improves consumer experience for tourists

VTV.vn - In recent years, a contrary trend has begun to emerge: foreigners are coming to China to buy its products.

Chinese technology products attract foreign customers

With a population of over 1.4 billion and a large spending power, Chinese people are often considered one of the top groups of tourists that many countries want to attract in the fields of tourism and consumer shopping. However, in recent years, a counter-trend has begun to emerge: foreigners are coming to China to buy its products.

And drones, unmanned aerial vehicles with cameras, are one of the most popular items among international tourists shopping in China, according to Xinhua. Foreigners now account for about 30% of visitors to the brand’s stores in Beijing. Shopping for electronic products has even become one of the top tourism drivers in some places, including Shenzhen, China’s leading technology hub.

At Shenzhen airport, many international tourists have the same destination when visiting the city. The place they mention is Huaqiangbei - a giant center of electronic products trading, considered " the world's largest technology market", with an extremely diverse quantity and variety of goods.

Not only does it have a wide range of products, the Huaqiangbei Market also provides a variety of services such as currency exchange, packaging, and transportation, creating a one-stop shopping destination for tourists. The center also recruits a team of volunteers, including both Chinese and foreigners.

"The products are extremely diverse, with all kinds of specifications at many price points. I find this great," said American volunteer Andy.

In recent years, from simple small products such as headphones and bracelets to high-end devices such as phones, smart speakers or drones, Chinese consumer technology products are becoming increasingly familiar to international consumers.

At the 2025 Financial Street Forum in Beijing at the end of October, many foreign attendees gave positive reviews of current Chinese technology products.

Mr. Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad - Associate Professor of the School of International Business, Zhejiang University shared: "Innovation is China's strength. Many new products originate from this country and are highly economical , possessing modern technology at affordable prices."

In previous years, Chinese people often went shopping abroad to resell products when they returned home. But now, Chinese technology products with a variety of designs and prices are becoming the items sought after by many international tourists when visiting this country of one billion people.

Drones with integrated cameras are the most popular among international tourists when shopping for travel in China.

China improves consumer experience for tourists

Technology products are a big advantage for China to attract the attention of international tourists. However, a stronger driving force comes from the policies that have been and are being implemented by Chinese authorities.

The first factor that makes China tourism more attractive to foreign tourists is the favorable visa policy. In recent times, China has continuously expanded the list of countries exempted from visas to 74 countries, or allowed citizens from 55 countries to transit visa-free for a maximum of 10 days at many border gates.

This has attracted more foreigners to China. According to the Ministry of Commerce, in the third quarter of this year, the country welcomed more than 20 million international visitors, up more than 22% compared to the same period last year. Of these, more than a third were thanks to a more open visa policy. And once in China, tourists are encouraged to continue to open their wallets to shop, thanks to a series of policies that improve the consumer experience.

At the China Import and Export Fair recently held in Guangzhou, a tax refund service area was set up right on the fair grounds, allowing international buyers to experience the convenience of a new service: shopping directly and receiving tax refunds on the spot.

Mr. Ahmad Afzal - Foreign tourist confided: "We can get tax refund immediately, no need to buy goods and wait until we get to the airport to do tax refund procedures."

To help visitors shop more conveniently, the fair organizers also deployed a team of multilingual volunteers to promptly guide and support the tax refund process. Thanks to that, the trading activities were quite lively.

Mr. Yu Feng - Manager at Tee Mall, Guangzhou commented: "After the opening of the Canton Fair, the number of foreign customers coming to our shopping mall increased by 30%. Exit tax refund activities increased more than 5 times."

This is part of measures China has rolled out this year to optimize its exit tax refund policy. Under the new policy, the minimum purchase threshold for tax refunds has been reduced from 500 yuan (US$70) to 200 yuan (about US$28), while the cash refund limit has been increased to 20,000 yuan (about US$2,800). As of the end of August, more than 10,000 stores across China had adopted the tax refund program, with positive feedback.

Ms. Lena Gidwani - Singapore tourist confided: "The tax refund service is very efficient and convenient. You just need to come and present your passport. In fact, I received my tax refund within just 5 or 6 minutes. Very fast".

In addition to tax refunds, local governments in China are also organizing special tours and cultural activities to help international tourists enjoy a richer shopping experience. For example, in Guangzhou, after the China Import and Export Fair ends, the National Games next week will continue to be an opportunity to stimulate consumption. Local shopping malls are expected to give away gifts and admission tickets to spectators during the event, thereby boosting shopping spending.

The first factor that makes Chinese tourism more attractive to foreign tourists is the favorable visa policy.

The potential of shopping tourism in China

Statistics show that last year, international tourist spending in China was 94.2 billion USD, accounting for about 0.5% of GDP, much lower than the average of 1 to 3% in other major economies. And according to experts, the potential for developing shopping tourism in the world's second largest economy is still very abundant.

China’s major cities are still leading the way. In the first nine months of this year alone, Beijing welcomed 38.84 million international visitors, up nearly 43% year-on-year, with spending up about 47%. In Shanghai, the tax refund program for international visitors also saw strong growth, with sales up more than 80%, leading the country in terms of scale.

According to Morgan Stanley, shopping will become an increasingly important reason for international tourists to visit China - especially as global trade barriers increase. Revenue from international tourists is forecast to account for 18% of China's total tourism market in the next five years, up from the current 11%.

Source: https://vtv.vn/trung-quoc-cai-thien-trai-nghiem-tieu-dung-cho-du-khach-100251107113201918.htm