Investment promotion refers a series of activities that governments adopt to attract foreign direct investment.

Investment promotion includes the following specific types of activities: advertising, direct mail, investment seminars, investment group, participating in the industry fair and exhibition, distributing materials, one-to-one direct marketing, preparing agenda for potential investors, facilitate interaction between potential investors and local partners, acquiring licenses and approval documents from the various government agencies, preparing project proposals, conducting feasibility study, and providing services to investors after the project begins to operate and so on.

Investment promotion does not include offering incentives to foreign investors, screening foreign investment or negotiating with foreign investors, although many organizations that are responsible for carrying out investment promotion activities also carry out these kinds of activities.