The Ministry of Commerce and nine other departments have issued a notice on the "Policy Measures for Promoting the Export of Travel Services and Expanding Inbound Consumption"
Promoting the export of travel services and expanding inbound consumption are important measures for vigorously developing service trade and enhancing China’s international influence, as well as crucial supports for developing service consumption and driving the expansion and upgrading of the consumer market. To implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, further expand service exports, and create an internationally attractive consumption environment, the following policy measures are proposed.
(1) Building a National Tourism Brand.Integrating multi-dimensional experiences such as “Travel in China,” “Shop in China,” “Study in China,” and “Medical Care in China,” systematically constructing the national tourism image of “Hello! China,” creating the “Travel in China” brand, and highlighting cultural identity and consumer guidance. Establishing a one-stop international tourist information service platform to serve as the official promotion and information release platform for inbound tourism in China.
(2) Strengthening Global Precision Marketing.Formulating an inbound tourism and consumption brand promotion plan, integrating resources from travel platforms, travel agencies, airlines, educational institutions, medical institutions, and others, developing differentiated marketing strategies, and conducting precise publicity targeting inbound tourists. Making full use of various social media platforms to showcase a more vivid image of Chinese tourism. Supporting overseas groups to film movies and television works in China in accordance with relevant regulations.
(3) Enriching the Supply of Inbound Tour Products.Encouraging localities to develop distinctive inbound tour products tailored to local conditions, launching high-quality “multi-destination” inbound tour routes, and promoting joint consumption stimulus packages featuring “urban transportation + attractions + accommodation + consumption.” Leveraging unique resources such as traditional culture, festivals and exhibitions, geographical indications, and industrial clusters. Enhancing the supply of study-tour products, continuously diversifying product types and study-tour scenarios based on local conditions, and cultivating a number of high-quality study-tour brands. Developing green and low-carbon tourism products to better meet the travel needs of environmentally conscious travelers. Designing tourism products in alignment with the holiday schedules of major source countries to attract overseas visitors to visit China during off-peak periods. Encouraging the development of cross-border tourist trains and ensuring comprehensive entry-exit service support for dedicated cross-border tourist trains. Encouraging airlines to offer greater discounts for passengers purchasing connecting tickets with extended transit stays in China. Utilizing artificial intelligence and digital technologies to improve service infrastructure and develop smart tourism.
(4) Improving the Quality of Tourism Services.Raising the level of foreign language services in restaurants, hotels, attractions, medical institutions, and public service facilities. Improving the tourism talent training system and building a team of multilingual tour guides and interpreters to better meet foreign tourists’ interpretation needs at museums and scenic areas. Encouraging and supporting museums and other venues frequented by foreign tourists to enhance their provision of multilingual audio guide equipment. Continuously improving convenience for foreign tourists in popular scenic areas, including reservation and ticketing services.
(5) Enhancing International Trade Fair Services and Standards.Supporting the cultivation of influential international trade fairs through market-oriented approaches. Providing visa facilitation for business delegates attending national trade fairs in China and offering convenient visa extension services. Encouraging international trade fairs to establish “Overseas Business Delegates Service Desks” to provide financial, logistics, legal, and other services.
(6) Supporting the Introduction of International Sporting Events.Supporting the hosting of globally influential international sporting events. Encouraging eligible regions to attract outdoor sports enthusiasts from abroad by developing high-quality outdoor sports destinations. Establishing dedicated green channels at ports hosting large-scale international sporting events, allowing ticket-holding spectators to enjoy group entry/exit and expedited border control services.
(7) Extending the Consumption Chain Around Sporting Events.Launching “event + tourism” packages, promoting tourism surrounding sporting events, and providing one-stop services for transportation, tickets, and accommodation. Developing event IP-derived products. Promoting live event broadcasting and encouraging basic telecommunications enterprises to enhance information and communication network coverage and quality at event venues and surrounding areas.
(8) Optimizing Approval Management for Foreign-Invested Commercial Performances.Streamlining approval procedures for large-scale commercial performance activities and implementing inter-regional touring performance approval regulations.
(9) Cultivating More Cultural and Entertainment Consumption Scenarios.Expanding integrated “performing arts + cultural tourism” consumption scenarios, encouraging localities to design “multi-destination” cultural tourism products, “concert-themed travel routes,” and “film-themed travel routes” in conjunction with large-scale commercial performances. Supporting eligible regions to create “International Performing Arts Consumption Zones,” host international music festivals, art exhibitions, film festivals, and TV festivals, permit extended evening performance hours, and provide 24-hour public services to complement these activities.
(10) Building an International Medical Tourism Brand.Exploring the establishment of international medical tourism clusters in select regions, offering high-end health check-ups, plastic surgery, rehabilitation care, and other services to international patients. Leveraging the demonstration and leading role of Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, allowing clinically urgent drugs (excluding vaccines) and medical devices that are already listed overseas but not yet approved for registration in China to be used in medical institutions within the zone. Permitting patients in these institutions to take a reasonable personal quantity of imported medications out of the pilot zone for personal use. Conducting pilot programs integrating “Traditional Chinese Medicine Inbound Consumption” into service trade development.
(11) Elevating Service Levels at International Medical Institutions.Implementing the pilot work plan for opening up wholly foreign-owned hospitals, supporting the introduction of internationally leading specialized hospitals focusing on rehabilitation, high-end health check-ups, and other fields in pilot provinces and cities. Supporting medical institutions to cooperate with international insurance companies in a lawful, compliant, steady, and orderly manner, expanding the scope of direct settlement under international commercial insurance, simplifying claims processes, and facilitating cross-border settlements for international commercial insurance.
(12) Strengthening the “Study in China” Brand and Capacity Building.Improving the management chain for students studying in China, encouraging pre-university education conducted overseas, collaborating with high-level universities abroad on joint training programs, refining entrance examinations and assessments for international students, optimizing campus environments for greater internationalization, enhancing the quality of student training, and regulating employment of international students and outstanding graduates in China.
(13) Promoting the Export of Chinese Language Education.Encouraging Chinese language education institutions to pursue international development. Cultivating Chinese language examination brands. Encouraging vocational education institutions to promote “order-based training” and launch courses such as “Chinese + Tourism,” “Chinese + High-Speed Rail Technology,” and “Chinese + Cross-Border E-commerce,” providing training support for foreign employees of Chinese enterprises engaged in overseas operations.
(14) Continuously Refining Visa Policies.Orderly expanding the scope of countries benefiting from unilateral visa exemptions and continuously optimizing transit visa policies. Studying the introduction of electronic visas, piloting online applications, and shortening processing times. Promoting online completion of the Foreigner Entry Card. Simplifying approval procedures for foreigners coming to China to participate in trade fairs, sporting events, and other activities, waiving the requirement for inviting parties to submit letters of commitment.
(15) Optimizing the Inbound Consumption Environment.Successfully organizing the “Shop in China” series of events, innovating integrated commerce, travel, culture, sports, and health consumption scenarios, and enhancing overall convenience across the entire inbound consumption process. Thoroughly implementing and refining the outbound tax refund optimization policy, strengthening publicity and promotion, supporting the increase in refund stores, diversifying refundable goods, and optimizing refund services. Increasing multilingual signage coverage at airports, high-speed rail stations, scenic areas, key commercial districts, and major cultural tourism consumption venues, while improving payment convenience. Continuing to promote the establishment of service outlets at high-traffic port airports to facilitate telecommunications services. Studying the promotion of equipping and applying personal smart devices for inbound cultural tourism consumption. Encouraging domestic navigation, ride-hailing, food delivery, shopping, and other lifestyle service apps to provide multilingual versions. Strengthening the development of industry standards related to inbound consumption, improving service standards for tour guides, catering, healthcare, and other sectors. Effectively disseminating China’s consumption environment internationally.
(16) Enhancing Policy Coordination.Optimizing statistics on inbound travel development, promoting data sharing among regions, and strengthening data monitoring and feedback. Leveraging service consumption and elderly care re-lending policies to guide financial institutions to increase support for sectors related to inbound consumption. Providing financing guarantees and interest subsidies for eligible small and micro enterprises engaged in inbound consumption services. Encouraging localities to intensify efforts to attract performances, events, and exhibitions based on their actual conditions, and providing factor support for duty-free shops and other inbound consumption infrastructure. Enhancing the digital service convenience for inbound foreign nationals.