Chongqing - Southwest China's Chongqing municipality unveiled 30 new measures on September 17 to further develop its international consumption center strategy, with a focus on creating more international-friendly shopping, dining and entertainment experiences, as well as improving services for overseas visitors.
Luzumiao (Lu Zu Temple) is a renewed century-old historic street and traditional neighborhood located next to the Jiefangbei business district in Chongqing's Yuzhong District. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Luzumiao (Lu Zu Temple) is a renewed century-old historic street and traditional neighborhood located next to the Jiefangbei business district in Chongqing's Yuzhong District. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
The move follows Chongqing's first policy package launched in 2022, which introduced 23 measures to attract businesses, improve consumption environments and create new consumer destinations.
A view of Chongqing's urban landscape. (Photo/Chen Xin)
According to Zhang Yongwu, director of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, the previous measures helped expand the city's consumer market and improve its international appeal. Chongqing's total retail sales of consumer goods have risen to the top among Chinese cities, and the city has been named one of China's top nighttime economy cities for four consecutive years.
The city is also seeing stronger international connections. In 2025, Chongqing received more than 2 million inbound tourists, more than 2.5 times the comparable level in 2019.
Daqi Teahouse in Yuzhong District, Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
One of Chongqing's key strategies is transforming local cultural resources into internationally recognizable consumer experiences. The city will continue developing brands including "Sleepless Chongqing,” "Mountain and Water Tourism," "Outdoor Sports," and "World Food City."
Food is a major part of this strategy. The 18th China (Chongqing) Hotpot Food Culture Festival will create new consumption spaces combining Chongqing's signature hotpot culture with its unique urban landscape of mountains, rivers, bridges, and streets.
The city will also launch a bilingual Chongqing Food Map, featuring restaurant locations, recommended dishes and practical information for visitors.
The initiative aims to help both domestic and international tourists explore Chongqing's food culture more easily, from traditional hotpot and local noodles to regional specialties and international cuisine.
The new measures also emphasize attracting high-quality consumer resources and encouraging new business models.
Chongqing plans to support global brands in opening flagship stores, organizing product launches, and promoting "first stores" and "first exhibitions".
The city will also encourage businesses to develop digitally powered consumption models, combining technology with retail, tourism, entertainment, and cultural experiences.
Improving the international consumption environment is another focus of the new policies. The city identified areas including multilingual services, payment convenience, and duty-free shopping as priorities for improvement.
Overseas tourists take photos at Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 Liziba Station, where the track passes through a residential building. (Photo/Tang Yi)
Eligible businesses that add multilingual signs and international service facilities may receive financial support of up to 3 million yuan (about 447,334 U.S. dollars).
Chongqing will also encourage more businesses to accept overseas bank cards, expand departure tax refund services and improve foreign currency exchange facilities.
A foreign currency exchange service counter operated by Trip.com at Starlight 68 shopping mall in Chongqing's Guanyinqiao business district. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
By the end of August, the city had established 446 departure tax refund stores and nearly 60,000 merchants that could accept overseas bank cards.
From January to August, sales through departure tax refund programs increased 59%, while overseas card transactions and mobile payment usage grew 70% and 129%, respectively.
Beyond shopping and dining, Chongqing is using sports and tourism to expand consumption. The city is developing outdoor sports experiences based on its mountainous landscape, including mountain activities, water sports, motorsports and aviation-related activities.
It is also promoting major events as drivers of tourism and local spending, through initiatives such as "follow sporting events to travel," which connects competitions with tourism attractions, commercial districts and local communities.
Chongqing is also upgrading neighborhood-level commercial services by developing "15-minute commercial service circles," a concept aimed at giving residents convenient access to daily services, shopping, and leisure within a short distance.