China’s tourist shopping boom puts drones and AI glasses in the suitcase

Andrea Triboldi arrived in China with a shopping list of more than 20 Chinese products. The Italian tourist made Shenzhen his first stop because of its technology, taking his 11-year-old son to an exhibition featuring drones and other gadgets. His son wanted a DJI drone to bring home. Their trip captures a growing retail opportunity: visitors are coming for Chinese products as well as Chinese sights.

Overseas visitors spent 263.6 billion yuan, about $39 billion, in China in the first seven months of 2026, up 27.8% from a year earlier, according to Ministry of Commerce figures carried in a Xinhua report published by The Independent Uganda. The report describes a social-media trend called “China Haul”, with travellers building shopping plans around electronics, household goods, snacks and gifts.

Shenzhen’s technology shops capture the demand

In Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei electronics marketplace, foreign buyers have averaged nearly 8,000 a day this year. Sales of artificial intelligence products—devices incorporating AI technology—rose more than 55% in January–July from a year earlier. AI glasses sales doubled, while drone and robot sales increased by 60% to 70%. Those marketplace figures show the strength of technology retail, although the report does not separate foreign purchases from total product sales.

Foreign tourists generate roughly 40% of sales at INNO100, a Shenzhen technology store, employee Zhang Linwan said. Visitors are interested in exoskeletons, wearable devices that assist movement, as well as 3D printers and laser engraving machines. The store also lets customers create personalised dolls and photo fridge magnets. At a DJI flagship shop, employee Wang Linlin said foreign customers were keen to try products themselves, particularly through drone test flights.

The attraction extends beyond gadgets. In Changsha, Russian tourist Ivan visited Snack Kingdom, which offers more than 35,000 types of snacks. Malaysian visitor Mok Jin Jin said her relatives and friends often prepare shopping plans before travelling to China. Her mother particularly likes a Chinese-made blender with automatic cleaning. For Mok, price is only part of the appeal: design, quality and usefulness also matter.

Chinese products attract foreign shoppers through design, quality and practicality, not just lower prices, according to Malaysian visitor Mok Jin Jin.

Easier entry and refunds support spending

Policy changes provide another part of the backdrop. Foreign nationals made almost 61.29 million border crossings in January–August 2026, an increase of 19.5% from a year earlier. Visa-free entries reached 23.72 million, up 26.8%. Separately, the number of overseas visitors seeking departure tax refunds—money returned on eligible shopping purchases—rose more than threefold in the first seven months, according to the commerce ministry.

In Chengdu, Hungarian tourist Annamaria praised being able to receive refunds immediately when buying gifts. Zhou Man, manager of a Xiaomi store in the city, said the refund policy had helped sales and that foreign tourists represented 30% of daily customer traffic. Gao Li of Tianjin Foreign Studies University said refunds, mobile payments and visa-free travel had together lowered the costs of cross-border shopping.

The next thing to watch is whether that demand broadens across Chinese brands and retail categories. Hunan University associate professor He Yun sees the trend as a shift towards buying Chinese technology, design and consumer experiences. The test for retailers is whether the interest visible in drones, snacks and household appliances translates into a lasting draw for overseas shoppers.