Episode Details

Spending patterns among China's inbound travelers are shifting toward card-based transactions, experiential and everyday scenarios, underscoring the nation's progress in improving bank card acceptance and payment convenience, said a recent report by the World Tourism Alliance.

世界旅游联盟发布的最新报告指出，中国入境游客的消费模式正转向以银行卡支付为主，并更多集中于沉浸式体验和日常消费场景，这凸显了中国在提升银行卡受理环境和支付便利性方面取得的显著进展。

It said experiencing Chinese culture is increasingly the primary motivation for foreign visitors. This growing appetite for cultural depth is driving a shift from "checklist sightseeing" to "immersive experiences", making China's cultural treasure trove a key driver of inbound tourism growth.
报告称，体验中国文化正成为越来越多外国游客的首要动机。这种对文化深度的渴望，正促使游客从“打卡式观光”转向“沉浸式体验”，中国丰富的文化资产因此成为入境旅游增长的重要推动力。

The trend reflects ongoing enhancements to China's card acceptance environment. The report noted that coverage among key merchants reached 99 percent by September 2024. Moreover, tax refund efficiency has also improved significantly. The State Taxation Administration has rolled out "immediate tax refund upon purchase" services since May, drastically cutting refund processing times and enhancing shopping experiences.
这一趋势反映出中国银行卡受理环境持续改善。报告指出，截至2024年9月，重点商户的银行卡受理覆盖率已达99%。此外，退税效率也显著提升。国家税务总局自5月起推行“即买即退”服务，大幅缩短退税处理时间，显著提升购物体验。

The National Bureau of Statistics said China welcomed 132 million inbound tourists in 2024, marking a 60.8 percent year-on-year increase, with foreign visitors accounting for 26.94 million of these arrivals.
国家统计局表示，2024年中国入境游客达到1.32亿人次，同比增长60.8%，其中外国游客达2694万人次。

Between the third quarter of 2024 and the second quarter of 2025, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States emerged as the top source markets for inbound spending. Malaysia, Australia and Singapore posted standout year-on-year growth rates — each exceeding 50 percent, said the WTA.
世界旅游联盟称，在2024年第三季度至2025年第二季度期间，马来西亚、新加坡、澳大利亚、韩国、德国、英国和美国成为入境游客消费的主要来源市场。其中，马来西亚、澳大利亚和新加坡表现尤其突出，同比增幅均超过50%。

Shopping stood out with a nearly 90 percent rise in transaction value. The surge was driven primarily by a sharp increase in the number of credit and debit cards used, while average spending per card remained stable — signaling a broader consumer base rather than higher individual outlays, the report said.
购物类消费尤为亮眼，交易额增长近90%。报告指出，这一增幅主要得益于使用信用卡和借记卡人数的显著上升，而单卡平均消费保持稳定——这表明增长来自更广泛的消费群体，而非个体消费金额的提高。

The transaction value of transportation spending has been growing strongly, with card usage surging, thanks to