Beijing is expected to make available its first retail rebate arrangements in 2014, said Zhou Zhengyu, director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development recently.

In the first half of this year, 100 stores are expected to launch tax-refund policies. Foreign travelers can use their invoices to claim a tax rebate at the airport, but local residents and domestic tourists cannot enjoy the policies.

The shopping refund applies to tax rebate policies for foreign tourists who purchase items to be collected or shipped out from the designated shops. Europe, the U.S., Japan, Singapore and other countries or regions already operate such systems.

Zhou Zhengyu also said that in 2013 Beijing hosted 252 million tourist trips, an increase of 9 percent from 2012; meanwhile gross income exceeded 396 billion yuan, representing 9.3 percent growth.