Shenzhen draws 3.12m visitors, US$294.79m in holiday tourism

Shenzhen’s tourism market got off to a strong start in 2026, with the city welcoming 3.12 million visitors over the three-day New Year holiday and generating 2.09 billion yuan (US$294.79 million) in tourism revenue, according to the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports.

Daily average visitor numbers rose 32.3% year on year, while daily average tourism revenue was up 36% from the same holiday period last year, official figures showed.

Data from major online travel platform Ctrip.com showed Shenzhen ranked third among Chinese cities for inbound holiday travel and fourth for domestic tourism during the holiday that just ended Saturday.

The Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages theme park is one of the top attractions in Shenzhen during this year's New Year holiday. Photo from Dute News

Top attractions were Window of the World theme park, the Ping An Finance Center observation deck, the Shenzhen leg of Chen Chusheng concert, OH Bay, and Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages, according to Ctrip.com.

Enhanced cultural offerings and immersive festivals helped drive the surge. Splendid China’s “Dazzling Intangible Heritage” combined light installations with iron‑flower performances, while the “One World One Family” parade on Futian’s Festival Avenue drew over 160,000 attendees, boosting nearby hotels and retail.

Nighttime programming also proved popular. Thematic water shows lit up the skies over Oh Bay, welcoming 119,500 visitors on the holiday’s first day, a 1.05% increase from a year ago.

Sea travel was another highlight, as four China Merchants Cruises vessels operated Bay Area routes under the “New Year at Sea” and “Welcoming the New Year” themes.

Specialty sailings fused tech and futuristic elements with sightseeing to appeal to families and younger travelers. The Bay Area cruises carried more than 15,000 passengers in the first two days.