China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) announced new measures on Sunday to increase international flights and enhance departure tax refund policies, aiming to attract more foreign tourists and boost inbound consumption.

At a press conference, Xu Qing, director of the CAAC Transport Department, outlined the agency’s strategy to improve air travel and tax refund systems, enhancing the overall visitor experience and stimulating increased spending.

"Firstly, we will continue our efforts to increase international flights. For the traditional international air transport market, the focus will be on 'optimizing structure, enhancing quality, and ensuring stability,' guiding airlines to adopt tailored strategies that drive steady progress, improve quality, and enhance efficiency. For emerging markets and Belt and Road Initiative participating countries, we will strengthen support and guidance, encouraging airlines to expand into these regions, enhance the Belt and Road air route networks, and better align with the country’s foreign policy and trade goals," said Xu.

In addition to expanding flight routes, Xu noted that improving services for foreign travelers is a key priority, particularly through enhancing payment systems and streamlining airport services to create a more efficient and enjoyable experience.

"Secondly, we will continue to improve payment facilitation services. Efforts will be made to optimize the functions of comprehensive service counters at hub airports, with the goal of creating a superior service environment. The aim is to provide foreign travelers with seamless 'one-stop' services covering tourism, payment, transportation, communication, and other needs, while promoting the 'Chinese service' brand within the air transport sector," said Xu.

As part of China's strategy to boost its appeal as a shopping destination, the CAAC is also working on improving the departure tax refund process, which will be key in attracting more international visitors to make purchases in China.

"Finally, we will drive the implementation of optimized departure tax refund policies. Airports with the necessary capabilities will be encouraged to establish tax refund shops, leveraging the advantages of international flights and hub airports. Targeted promotional campaigns will be launched to raise awareness of the departure tax refund policy among foreign travelers, encouraging more visitors to shop in China," said Xu.