On February 23, Meituan rele ased its "2026 Spring Festival Consumption Insights Report", which shows that driven by multiple travel needs such as returning home for family reunions and spend the Chinese New Year the "reversed" way, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan ranked among the Top 10 most popular travel destinations. Among them, Shenzhen placed in the Top 5.

Source: SHENZHEN SPECIAL ZONE DAILY

During this year's Spring Festival holiday, Shenzhen reported strong growth across multiple travel-related indicators, with hotel room nights rising by nearly 90% year-on-year, car rental orders increasing by 92%, and chartered tour orders up by 35%. Meanwhile, outbound package tour orders by Shenzhen travelers increased by more than threefold, and overseas local activity bookings rose by more than twofold.

More and more foreign visitors are choosing to celebrate the Chinese New Year in China and experience traditional Chinese culture. Data from Fliggy shows that during the holiday, inbound air ticket orders increased nearly tenfold year-on-year. Cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Beijing, Dalian, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, and Ningbo were among their most favored "first-stop cities" for inbound travel.

The Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Shenzhen disclosed that, according to preliminary estimates, during the nine-day 2026 Spring Festival holiday (February 15 to February 23), Shenzhen received 10.5497 million tourist visits, representing a 17.9% increase compared with the eight-day 2025 Spring Festival holiday; and generated RMB 11.845 billion in tourism revenue, up 19.8%.

This Spring Festival, Shenzhen's festive atmosphere also carried an added sense of warmth through "reverse reunions". Data from Qunar Travel shows that Shenzhen ranked among the top five most popular destinations nationwide for spending the Chinese New Year the "reversed" way, and its hotel bookings entered the national top three for the first time. Monitoring data from travel websites also indicates that among hotel bookings during the holiday, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai ranked in the top four, with Shenzhen posting a 48% increase, making it into the national top three for the first time.

As a popular destination for spending the Chinese New Year the "reversed" way, Shenzhen's cultural and tourism consumption got off to a strong start during the holiday. According to data from third-party platforms, cultural and tourism bookings in Shenzhen increased by 77% year-on-year during the Spring Festival period. Window of the World, Shenzhen Happy Valley, and Splendid China·China Folk Culture Villages were among the attractions receiving the largest numbers of visitors. A representative from Window of the World told reporters that the park received nearly 300,000 visits during the Spring Festival holiday.

Source: SHENZHEN SPECIAL ZONE DAILY

Visitors are not only "willing to come", but also able to "have a great experience". Major scenic spots in Shenzhen have incorporated technology and internationalized services into traditional Spring Festival folk activities, enabling overseas visitors to immerse themselves in the unique charm of Chinese culture. During the Spring Festival, Splendid China·China Folk Culture Villages received over 1,000 overseas visitors. It also launched an exclusive online ticketing channel for international visitors, allowing entry with a passport.

Behind the booming popularity is Shenzhen's use of digital tools to drive upgrades in cultural and tourism consumption. Smart ticketing terminals offering services in more than 23 languages have been put into operation at several popular scenic attractions across the city. Powered by a self-developed large-language translation model, the system provides full native-language coverage from UI interaction to voucher printing, greatly improving ticket purchase and entry efficiency for overseas visitors while effectively reducing service costs and labor pressure for scenic areas.