North China's Tianjin Municipality is boosting consumption by leveraging cultural resources and policy advantages, resulting in positive experiences for the increasing number of international visitors who make shopping an essential part of their trips.
Nestled amid a multitude of ancient-style pavilions and winding alleyways, the Tianjin Ancient Culture Street, housing over 1,100 shops, has attracted flocks of visitors from China and abroad with its historical and cultural significance.
This continued growth in overseas tourism has followed the continuous optimization of China's 240-hour transit visa-free policy. On May 1 this year, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port welcomed three international cruise ships at the same time.
More cultural sites are also witnessing a surging number of foreign visitors thanks to the visa-free policy.
"Our store has an average daily customer flow of over 6,000 people, and on holidays it can exceed 10,000, including many foreign tourists. Especially after the implementation of the visa-free policy, our store has attracted a lot of foreign tourists. They really like our store style and artistic atmosphere, and can take very beautiful photos," said Zhang Zhen, manager of Zhongshuge Bookstore in Tianjin.
On June 1, a tax-refund departure store located in Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone successfully handled the municipality's first refund-upon-purchase business, and more duty-free shops will also be opened within the year.
"Tianjin is an international consumer city, so I love buying souvenirs and gifts for my parents, sister, and brother. Previously, I could only get a departure tax refund in Beijing, but now I can do it in both Beijing and Tianjin, which allows me to plan my trip more flexibly," said Russian visitor Sophia.
Tianjin boosts tourism consumption with cultural charm, tax-refund policies
