Per state media, as more foreign visitors arrive, shopping-oriented spending has risen noticeably, with electronics, household goods and local specialties among the popular items.

Behind it are expanded visa-free policies and improved mobile-payment access. Lower barriers to entry and payment have made short-stay tourists' spending more active.

The trend dovetails with a recovery in services and retail, with analysts noting the growing spillover of tourist spending into local economies and jobs.

For Chinese commercial districts in Korea and Taiwan, the tourism-and-spending trend offers lessons: payment convenience and distinctive goods driving consumption is a pattern that crosses borders.