News Brief
By Miao Simin
With the visa-free transit policy extended from 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, along with the implementation of various other visa-free transit policies, “China Travel” has become increasingly popular, attracting more foreign nationals to visit China.
Hangzhou is home to three UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites: West Lake, the Grand Canal (Hangzhou Section), and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. These attractions draw an increasing number of international visitors to the scenic and cultural landscapes.
Shopping is also a major attraction for inbound tourists. To enhance the convenience of departure tax refunds for foreign tourists, the first intelligent terminal for real-time tax refunds was recently introduced at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, streamlining the process for both inbound and outbound travelers.
After customs inspection, tourists simply enter their phone number, passport number, and name in Alipay, then scan the Alipay QR code on the intelligent device at the airport. The tax refund will be directly credited to their Alipay account.
Compared to previous methods, the new pattern enables real-time tax refunds within 24 hours, eliminating the need for binding a bank card. This pattern aligns better with the consumption habits of foreign tourists.
Hangzhou also recently launched the Belt and Road·12366 Multilingual Tax Consultation Service Station, providing foreign tourists with a “first stop” for tax-related assistance, including departure tax refunds. Looking ahead, Hangzhou plans to introduce more cross-border tax-related services to boost its global appeal.