In the government work report delivered on March 5, Chinese Premier Li Qiang outlined this year's key government tasks, emphasizing efforts to boost consumption, improve investment efficiency, and expand domestic demand across all sectors.
Among the priorities, optimizing vacation policies and improving duty-free store regulations have gained significant attention.
In November 2024, China revised the Regulations on Holidays for National Festivals and Anniversaries, adding two extra public holidays starting from January 1, 2025—one additional day each for the Spring Festival and Labor Day.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s data center, the extended 8-day Spring Festival holiday in 2025 is expected to generate:
* 501 million domestic trips, a 5.9% year-on-year increase
* RMB 677 billion (about USD 93 billion) in domestic tourism revenue, up 7.0% from previous year
Policy shifts in tax-free shopping are also drawing attention. In August 2024, China announced plans to establish downtown duty-free stores in eight cities, including Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shenzhen.
This move is set to make tax-free shopping more accessible for international visitors.
China’s expanding visa-free entry program has further boosted inbound travel. In 2024, 20.12 million foreigners entered China visa-free, marking a 112.3% increase from previous year.
Looking ahead, the long-tail effect of visa-free policies, coupled with the establishment of new tax-free shops, will further stimulate inbound tourism spending.
