Whole globe comes to city at tourism expo

Tourism Plus Shanghai 2025, a major expo of the comprehensive tourism industry, opened on Sunday, featuring five cluster exhibitions at four main exhibition venues across Shanghai.

The five-day grand event offers everything related to tourism from lifestyle and coffee to water sports and delicacies.

It features eight lifestyle festivals and 22 international and domestic competitions at four venues: Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center and Shanghai New International Expo Center in the Pudong New Area, the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Qingpu District, and Changfeng Joy City in Putuo District.

It has attracted more than 6,000 active exhibitors from home and abroad, bringing 100,000 new global product debuts. It is estimated it will attract at least 450,000 visitors from more than 140 countries and regions worldwide.

Eight lifestyle festivals covering coffee, tea, food, travel, water sports, fishing, travel accommodation, and balloon art will draw enthusiasts and drive new consumption trends. There are tens of thousands of global product launches, and nearly 20 robot companies, and more than 100 tech firms focusing on AI, intelligence, new energy, and green supply chains.

Cutting edge technology is taking the spotlight at the expo.

At Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, visitors will find the Spring Festival gala's "star" Yushu robots walking their robot dogs, interact with dancing and coffee-making humanoid robots Qingbao, try on exoskeletons inspired by "The Wandering Earth," and experience global premieres such as the Prado Museum VR Art Exhibition from Spain.

They can also explore the splendid 318 National Highway at the "2025 Roadtrip Show," watch virtual F1 races at the "MetaSVS Shanghai Virtual Sports Open," and enjoy thrilling paddleboard racing, kayak freestyle, and electric hydrofoil surfing in a water playground.

At HOTELEX Shanghai Coffee, Wine & Food Festival, people will get to taste coffee from more than 200 boutique cafes worldwide, sample beans from different regions, try different roasting flavors, and learn about coffee preparation.

The festival is a visual and culinary feast.

Four world-class coffee competitions – brewing, latte art, barista, and roasting – will put on spectacular displays.

Additionally, the expo features robot coffee kiosks, noodle-making robots, and automated cooking robots.

As one of the three major signature activities under the "Shanghai Tourism" Development Project during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, this expo helps enhance Shanghai's reputation and influence in the tourism industry, said Yang Jing, director of the publicity and promotion department of Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.

"By serving as a 'catalyst' connecting culture, tourism and investment, the expo attracts more investors to focus on tourism development, injecting more momentum into the development of the industry," Yang said.