China is gearing up to boost foreign tourist spending during the long Lunar New Year holiday, from February 11 to 23. The government hopes this will help lift the economy, which is slowing down. Nine central government departments launched a joint plan to create a "consumption feast that links regions and engages everyone," said official announcements. Local governments are encouraged to provide multilingual guides about Lunar New Year customs. This aims to help tourists enjoy China’s rich cultural heritage during the holiday. Liu Xuexin, professor at Beijing’s Capital University of Economics and Business, said, "Never before has there been a document of this scale specifically promoting Spring Festival consumption – expectations for consumption are now very high." Currently, foreign tourists contribute only about 0.5% to China’s GDP through their spending. This is far below the 1% to 3% in major global economies, showing big room for growth, said a People’s Daily article. In 2025, foreign travelers claiming departure tax refunds tripled compared with a year before. Both the sales of refunded goods and the total value of these refunds jumped about 96% year on year. In November, the Ministry of Commerce launched China’s first "premium consumption promotion month" focused on high-end and international shopping in five big cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing. These cities counted for about 80% of total departure tax refund sales. Consumption made up 52% of China’s GDP in 2025, still below the global average of about 67%, says World Bank data. With pressure on economic growth, China counts on increased consumer spending and foreign tourists to help drive demand during this crucial holiday season.