Consumption Booms, Tourist Numbers Soar in Shanghai During Holiday

Shanghai's cultural and tourism market witnessed strong visitor number and consumption boom during the five-day Labor Day holiday, driven by diversified activities, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.

The city received 16.90 million tourists during the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 2.43 percent, statistics revealed on Tuesday. The city's hotel occupancy rate reached 72.8 percent, and total tourism consumption covering accommodation, transportation, dining, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment was estimated at 21.51 billion yuan (US$3.07 billion).

A wealth of performances, exhibitions and themed activities were launched during the holiday, upgrading tourist products and services.

This year's Double Five Shopping Festival kicked off during the holiday, pairing with table tennis carnivals held in core business districts, while the 2026 Shanghai International Flower Show featured dual main venues at the Shanghai Botanical Garden and Huangpu District, plus 10 sub-venues across the city, with a 2.3-kilometer flower wall along the Huangpu River waterfront and about 400 new plant varieties on display.

The Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival set up an open-air market along the 2.3-kilometer North Bund waterfront with nearly 300 brands, while sub-events in the Lingang Special Area as well as Qingpu and Xuhui districts blended intangible cultural heritage and drone and fireworks shows with the aroma of coffee.

Twelve cruise-themed events were held at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, with the Adora Magic City and Royal Caribbean International setting sail on three voyages, boosting waterfront tourism consumption.

High-quality performing arts and cultural exhibitions fueled cultural consumption, according to the administration. The city hosted nearly 2,000 shows across 237 venues, including 274 foreign-related shows such as the Jazz Spring Music Festival, flamenco ballet Carmen and international dance productions. Top-tier ACG (animation, comics and games) concerts also drew large young audiences.

More than 100 cultural and art exhibitions have been held across the city, with extended opening hours at popular venues including the East Branch of Shanghai Museum, the World Expo Museum and the World Skills Museum.

The city rolled out 20 high-quality rural routes, integrating camping, research study, wetland exploration and seasonal picking in suburban districts, including Songjiang, Qingpu and Jinshan.

Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek cruise routes launched themed services, including pet-friendly trips, flower appreciation journeys and tea art performances.

Shanghai was the most popular inbound tourism destination among domestic cities during the holiday amid expanded visa exemption policies and added international flight routes, according to Trip.com.

For China's overall inbound tourism market during the holiday, Russia, South Korea, Malaysia, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, and France made up the top inbound source countries. Russian visitor arrivals soared 120.1 percent year-on-year, leading in growth rate.

Meanwhile, holiday travel plus performance experiences saw explosive growth nationwide. Trip.com reported event-related tourist visits climbed 30.6 percent year-on-year as Shanghai led event-attraction rankings, with live shows becoming a core visitor-driving engine for destinations.

Tongcheng Travel's statistics revealed that Shanghai stood out as a top choice for young travelers and family trips, backed by abundant cultural offerings and large-scale live events.

Family hotel room bookings rose over 40 percent year-on-year in Shanghai during the holiday, and the city combined music festival tickets with local shopping and hotel consumption, amplifying retail gains from live performances, the agency said.