An employee of a department store in Beijing helps a foreign tourist with his tax refund. JU ZONGHUAN/XINHUA
China is moving to improve the shopping experience for foreign visitors to the country, with the nation's first online departure tax refund store launched in Beijing to optimize tax refund services and boost inbound consumption, experts said on Tuesday.
The move is expected to create more consumption scenarios and encourage stronger inbound spending, as China's inbound travel and shopping market gains momentum on the back of expanded visa-free access, improved departure tax refund measures and the "Shopping in China" campaign, they added.
Beijing launched the country's first online departure tax refund store and rolled out centralized departure tax refund services for an initial group of hotels on Tuesday, the Beijing Municipal Tax Service said.
Available on JD, a major Chinese e-commerce platform, the online store enables foreign visitors to buy products carrying a dedicated "departure tax refund" label and complete the refund application process at point-of-sale checkout.
