Aiming to stimulate the economy and mitigate external uncertainties, Guangdong province has rolled out a series of measures to boost consumption, including initiatives to attract tourists from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and from overseas.

Experts believe the time is ripe for the province to enhance its international presence and further open up global markets.

Boosting consumer spending has been at the top of the central government’s agenda this year. In line with the nation’s call, Guangdong launched 31 measures on Wednesday, including enhancing the quality and service standards, raising residents’ incomes and creating a favorable environment for consumption.

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A highlight of the initiatives is the effort to encourage spending by overseas visitors by offering distinct tourism itineraries, streamlined visa procedures, an appealing shopping environment, expanded duty-free services, and various travel convenience measures.

The province is firmly backing its capital, Guangzhou, to enhance its role as an international consumption center, and has encouraged its core city, Shenzhen, to also join the ranks.

Guangdong also aims to actively foster internationally oriented education, healthcare, tourism, and exhibitions markets.

The government is channeling support for designated cities to build themselves into first stops and major hubs for tourists. It is encouraging Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Jiangmen, Chaozhou to launch high-quality travel packages with local characteristics, and has pledged to facilitate the provision of visas, accommodation, transportation, shopping, telecommunication and healthcare services tourists.

Song Ding, researcher at the China Development Institute, emphasized the urgent need for Guangdong to boost consumption in order to mitigate the impact of potential tariff hikes by the United States on its export and manufacturing business, its core economic strengths.

Given the considerable purchasing power of overseas visitors, it would be beneficial to leverage the province’s connections with Hong Kong and Macao to tap into international markets, he said.

Although Guangdong is at the forefront of the nation’s reform and opening up, there remains a considerable gap in its internationalization compared to a metropolis like Hong Kong. Song said he encourages the province to learn from the experiences of Hong Kong and Macao in attracting and serving global tourists.

He suggested that establishing some pilot areas in Guangzhou and Shenzhen to provide a world-class shopping environment would be a good starting point.

Guan Jian, director of communications at GZL International Travel Service, highlighted Guangdong’s attractions to global businesspeople and tourists, citing the province’s strong economic dynamics, diverse tourism resources, convenient transportation and robust policy support.

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He said he believes such an internationally oriented endeavor will not only inject new momentum into the province’s local economy but will also expand its cultural influence on the international stage.

Guan said he hopes that cities in the province can enhance their attraction in different ways, in order to offer varied experiences. He would also like to see Guangzhou and Shenzhen exert their influence to help drive the internationalization level of surrounding cities.

He outlined what he believes are key priorities: improving service standards, popularizing multilingual services, accepting diverse payment methods, and intensifying global marketing efforts. He also said it would be valuable for the province to explore the introduction of more sports, cultural, and artistic events with global appeal.