Shanghai records growing tourist arrivals, spending during Spring Festival holiday
SHANGHAI, Feb. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the nine-day Year of the Horse Spring Festival holiday, Shanghai launched more than 2,570 featured cultural and tourism activities to promote travel to the bustling city, fueling a robust boom in Spring Festival cultural and tourism consumption as both visitor numbers and consumption in the cultural and tourism market saw steady growth.
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Big data from Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism shows the city received a total of 21.6721 million visitor arrivals, an 8.36% year-on-year increase. Total tourism consumption reached 25.614 billion yuan, surging 20.90% from the previous year.
The average room occupancy rate of local hotels and guesthouses rose to 50.60%, up 3.10 percentage points year-on-year.
The promotion campaign leveraged the outcomes of the first high-level competition to introduce Shanghai's tourism and integrated the city's cultural, tourism, commerce, sports and exhibition resources.
Product innovation and transformation drove Shanghai's Spring Festival cultural and tourism development this year, spawning a new trend of spending the Chinese New Year in the city.
Shanghai's cultural and tourism authorities rolled out over 130 in-depth Spring Festival tour routes under three themes, which became bestsellers on OTAs via live-stream sales on major platforms. Inbound tourists from niche markets like Greece and Slovenia doubled, experiencing the unique charm of Jiangnan and Shanghai culture immersively.
Shanghai also created premium IPs such as the themed tour routes. With joint efforts of multiple departments, 353 themed activities were launched on the "Hu Xiaoyou" smart travel service platform. At the same time, science popularization and industrial tourism also gained traction, making Shanghai the top choice for enjoying the Spring Festival elsewhere besides the hometown.
Key cultural and commercial landmarks, including West Bund GATE M, Panlong Ancient Town and Zhangyuan Garden, held Spring Festival fairs and garden parties, creating new urban Chinese New Year rituals. For the first time, Shanghai hosted large-scale concerts during the holiday, with Richie Jen's and Capper's concerts drawing numerous fans from across the country.
The blend of Shanghai-style Chinese New Year vibes and trendy Chinese cultural elements boosted the festive folk atmosphere in the city. Centering on experiencing the vibe of ordinary life, Shanghai launched a city-wide lantern show campaign. The lantern shows at Yuyuan Garden and the Inlet lit up the city's nights with stunning light displays.
Intangible cultural heritage fairs and master chefs' kitchens were set up in urban cultural and tourism complexes and suburban ancient towns. Some high-end hotels have integrated intangible cultural heritage into one-stop stays that integrate accommodation, dining, and travel experiences. Local traditional delicacies such as Shanghai cuisine and Nanxiang steamed buns offered visitors authentic Chinese New Year flavors.
Looking forward, Shanghai will further integrate cultural and tourism resources, pursue continuous product innovation, boost the upgrading of cultural and tourism consumption, and let more people feel the hospitality and vitality of Shanghai's cultural and tourism industry.
Source: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
Contact person: Ms. Zhu, Tel: 86-10-63074558
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