Beijing is making steady gains in its push to become an international consumption center, with high-end retail launches, upgraded shopping districts, and deeper integration of culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions emerging as key growth drivers, officials said at a news briefing on Thursday.

Since 2019, the Chinese capital has attracted over 5,000 "first stores," which are outlets making their debut in the city or region. The city also established 12 centers for global product launches, including the popular Sanlitun Taikoo Li district. 

The city's commercial map is also being reshaped by a robust digital economy and a surge in high-profile events. Beijing now hosts nearly a quarter of China's top 100 livestreaming agencies, ranking first nationwide. Meanwhile, the integration of sports and culture has delivered strong results. The China Open tennis tournament, for example, recently posted record ticket sales of 88 million yuan ($12.3 million).

Tourism has emerged as another major pillar. In the first 10 months of this year, Beijing received more than 300 million tourist visits, with total tourism spending exceeding 600 billion yuan, up 5.4% and 7.2% year on year, respectively, according to the municipal culture and tourism bureau. Inbound visits topped 4.5 million, generating more than $5.8 billion in spending, up 42.6% and 48% year on year, respectively.

Tourism offerings have diversified beyond traditional sightseeing. Factory tours, industrial museums, and smart manufacturing visits have gained popularity, while waterfront tourism has improved with new navigation routes along rivers such as the Liangma and the North Canal. Signature routes along the Grand Canal and the Xishan-Yongding River cultural belts continue to draw visitors, alongside 300 designated "internet-famous" sites and 20 micro-vacation destinations.

Live performances have become a new calling card. From January to October, Beijing hosted more than 50,000 commercial performances, drawing over 12 million attendees and generating 4.5 billion yuan in box-office revenue. The city has identified more than 100 new performance spaces and staged 241 large-scale and high-quality shows so far this year.

Beijing's consumer environment is becoming more business- and internationally friendly as well. A municipal statistical assessment shows the city's international consumption center index reached 109.9 in 2024, up 19.6 points from 2020. Indicators including business activity, consumer comfort, accessibility, and global visibility all scored above 100, with several metrics ranking among the top nationwide.

Regulatory reforms have supported this trend. More than 420,000 businesses in sectors including catering, hotels, and pharmacies have been included in pilot programs aimed at reducing unnecessary inspections. Simplified administrative services such as streamlined procedures for individual businesses upgrading to companies have further lowered barriers for market players.

Looking ahead, Beijing's municipal bureau of commerce said it will focus on expanding service-sector consumption and further integrating culture, tourism, and sports to build a globally influential consumption center in the next stage of development.