"It's incredibly convenient! I got more than 500 yuan back through an instant departure tax refund, and I can't wait to use it to try some Henan specialties." Recently, a South Korean tourist enjoyed an instant departure tax refund while purchasing a UAV at a store in Zhengzhou.
According to the latest statistics from the Henan Bureau of the State Taxation Administration, in the first 11 months of this year, the international tourists claiming departure tax refunds increased 8.7 times year on year, while the actual refund amount rose 10.6 times.
"International consumers have shown strong interest in China's digital products and ceramics," said a staff member at Zhengzhou Dennis David Plaza.
"The significant increase in Henan's departure tax refund business not only signals a strong recovery in inbound tourism, but also demonstrates that the province's enhanced refund services are now delivering tangible benefits to international visitors," said Xue Guizhi, director of the Tax Teaching and Research Section at the School of Finance and Taxation, Henan University of Economics and Law.
With the further implementation of the departure tax refund policy, Henan has stepped up efforts to better meet the shopping needs of international tourists. Recently, 41 stores across the province have been approved to offer departure tax refund services, mainly located in popular tourist destinations such as Zhengzhou and Luoyang.
"Going forward, we will expand service coverage to include a wider range of international products, trendy Chinese creative goods and time-honored brands, while cultivating new shopping scenarios to further enhance the shopping experience of international tourists in Henan," said an official from the Department of Commerce of Henan. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Jia Yongbiao and Wang Ge Translator: Yang Jiaxin Proofreader: Chen Xingjie and Zhao Hanqing)
