Economic Daily: Expanding inbound consumption is more than just about consumption.

The latest data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that as of the end of August, the number of tax refund shops for outbound travelers nationwide has exceeded 10,000. In the first eight months of this year, the sales of tax refund goods increased by 97.5% compared to the same period last year, and the number of people enjoying tax refunds increased by 2.5 times. These numbers clearly indicate that "Chinese tourism" is driving "Chinese shopping," and the "influx of inbound tourists" is rapidly transforming into real "consumption growth." This is a comprehensive reflection of China's openness, economic strength, and cultural appeal. Transforming "influx of inbound tourists" into "consumption growth" also has deeper economic implications. In China's service trade structure, inbound consumption is one of the main sources of deficit. On one hand, it reflects the increasing income level of Chinese residents and the strong demand for outbound tourism. On the other hand, it also indicates that there is still ample room for improvement in attracting international consumption in China. Expanding inbound consumption plays an important role in alleviating China's service trade deficit, optimizing the service trade structure, and promoting high-quality development of service consumption. The various kinds of consumption by foreign tourists within China directly boost service trade revenue, while also driving the improvement of domestic service industry quality and environmental optimization, forming a virtuous cycle of "satisfying nearby and attracting far." The significance of expanding inbound consumption goes far beyond the tourism industry itself. In the future, with further opening up and innovation of China's service trade, inbound consumption is expected to become an important growth point. Through continuous optimization of service environment, enrichment of high-quality service supply, and deepening the construction of international consumption center cities, China's service trade structure will gradually be optimized, and high-quality development of service consumption will inject more vitality into the economy.