China’s Cultural Capital Shanghai Sees Ninety-seven Million Tourists Celebrate Unmatched Growth And Economic Prosperity At The Historic 2025 Tourism Festival

Published on October 13, 2025

The 2025 Shanghai Tourism Festival has wrapped up, mounting caller records pinch a staggering 97 cardinal visitors, marking a important accomplishment for China’s tourism sector. The show not only attracted a monolithic number of visitors but besides generated a singular economical boost, pinch spending reaching unprecedented levels. This occurrence reflects Shanghai’s continuing entreaty arsenic a apical world destination, showcasing nan city’s blend of taste vibrancy and economical growth, further establishing its power successful nan world tourism landscape.

As autumn sweeps done Shanghai, bringing a crisp breeze on nan Huangpu River, nan metropolis precocious concluded its 36th Tourism Festival, a captivating ceremony that ran for 93 days, blending summertime tourism pinch taste vibrancy. The festival, which wrapped up connected October 7, 2025, astatine nan Shanghai Expo Cultural Park, carried nan taxable “Embracing Beauty and Happiness,” and attracted an awesome 97 cardinal visitors. These visitors contributed a singular 152.4 cardinal yuan (approximately $21.4 billion) to nan section economy, marking a important 27% summation from nan erstwhile year.

The 2025 Shanghai Tourism Festival introduced a caller approach, pinch a “one section, 2 seasons” conception that efficaciously merged summertime tourism pinch accepted taste activities. Over 500 events were held, pinch collaborations for illustration nan Shanghai Summer International Consumption Season helping toggle shape nan metropolis into a world taste tourism hub. This inaugural not only group caller records but besides reaffirmed Shanghai’s position arsenic a starring destination for world travelers.

Driving Economic Growth: Policies and Unique Experiences

A cardinal nonsubjective of nan show was to stimulate some proviso and request wrong nan tourism sector, promoting nan thought of “optimizing supply, activating consumption.” Several innovative strategies were put into spot to execute this. One specified initiative, moving from September 13 to 19, offered discounted tickets—half-price deals for 63 awesome attractions for illustration Legoland Shanghai and nan Oriental Pearl Tower. This promotion caused a surge successful bookings, pinch Ctrip reporting a 51.04% summation successful summons reservations and a 54.43% emergence successful spending, while edifice stays saw a 27.59% summation compared to past year. Similarly, Qunar information indicated a 22% emergence successful edifice occupancy and a 17.69% jump successful room income crossed cardinal areas betwixt July and September.

Major online platforms for illustration Ctrip and Meituan besides played an integral domiciled by blending shopping, taste events, and customer engagement, facilitating seamless experiences. Special promotions, specified arsenic nan “Aigou Shanghai Tourism Festival,” garnered complete 18 cardinal web impressions, creating a powerful rhythm of some online and offline spending. Attractions for illustration Legoland, which opened during nan summer, were a immense hit, drafting astir 600,000 visitors, pinch regular attendance sometimes reaching 15,000 people. Furthermore, areas for illustration Jing’an, Qingpu, and Songjiang hosted events specified arsenic nan International Tea Culture Festival and nan World Rowing Championships, drafting divers visitant groups and boosting Shanghai’s estimation arsenic a premier summertime tourer destination.

The preamble of caller attractions added further excitement. Experiences for illustration “Goodbye Blue and White,” an immersive VR journey, and nan Prado Museum’s virtual tours offered visitors innovative ways to prosecute pinch nan city. Meanwhile, suburban areas saw maturation successful tourism acknowledgment to events specified arsenic nan Jiading Nanxiang National Tide Conference and nan Dishui Lake Light and Shadow Fireworks display. These suburban events broadened nan economical benefits, drafting visitors from wrong nan metropolis and beyond.

Broadening Horizons: Parades, Partnerships, and National Promotion

The festival’s promotional strategy focused connected “phenomenal activities, linked products, and nationalist communication” to elevate Shanghai’s profile. A standout infinitesimal was nan Bund Parade, which took spot connected September 13. This multicultural arena featured 25 floats and 24 capacity groups, group against nan iconic metropolis skyline. With complete 23,000 media mentions and astir 100 cardinal views connected short video platforms, nan parade captivated audiences nationwide. The floats past embarked connected a 1,000-kilometer journey, visiting 11 awesome areas successful nan metropolis and attracting 3.4 cardinal viewers. A Jay Chou-themed float was particularly well-received, adding to nan excitement.

The effect of nan show reached beyond Shanghai’s borders. Events specified arsenic nan Xianhai Lake Drama Festival successful Sichuan and nan Intangible Cultural Heritage Feast successful Tibet helped create a consciousness of unity crossed China. Cross-regional partnerships besides blossomed, pinch exhibitions for illustration “China White Dehua Porcelain” and nan return of nan “Why Dunhuang” show drafting world attention. Additionally, initiatives specified arsenic romanticist rose-themed wedding packages and high-speed obstruction connections pinch Jiangsu state further amplified nan city’s taste influence.

Throughout nan festival, section perspectives were integrated, pinch campaigns for illustration “Tourism Festival successful My Heart” attracting crowds and receiving personage endorsements. International troupes sent leaders to service arsenic “Shanghai Entry Observers,” sharing nan city’s allure done their world societal media networks. The “This is Shanghai” motto and accompanying promotional videos, featuring some section and world “city recommenders,” helped coming Shanghai’s architecture arsenic a unsocial and accessible experience.

Elevating Cultural Experiences: Art, Technology, and Accessibility

The show sought to heighten municipality experiences by transforming existing resources into immersive, easy accessible events. Cultural tours, specified arsenic Hongkou’s “Enjoy nan North Bund” rooftop performance bid and Jing’an’s “Fashion Performing Arts Week,” turned Shanghai into a “borderless euphony city.” These events, on pinch high-profile exhibitions for illustration “Orsay Treasures” astatine nan Pudong Art Museum and “Hongshan Ancient Civilization” astatine different venues, underscored Shanghai’s taste richness.

Shanghai besides embraced nan “check-in economy,” leveraging exertion to amended visitant experiences. Locations for illustration Hongkou’s “Hongkou is simply a Museum” utilized augmented reality to bring history to life, while Xuhui’s west-bank waterfront connected complete 10 creator venues, further enriching nan city’s taste fabric. The “City Players Enjoy Shanghai” run encouraged deeper exploration, showcasing 100 sites crossed 16 districts and prompting photography contests that invited participants to prosecute pinch nan metropolis connected a much individual level.

Technology was seamlessly integrated to heighten nan show experience. A one-stop app provided booking and nationalist transit services, while scenic discounts (up to 60%) connected platforms for illustration Didi made exploring nan metropolis much affordable. Special passes for illustration nan “Senior Travel” ShanghaiPass, valid successful complete 330 cities crossed China, ensured that visitors could easy navigate nan metropolis and bask each that it had to offer.

The festival’s accuracy of “tourism +” aimed to move beyond accepted tourism, creating a much holistic model. For example, collaborations pinch nan International Light and Shadow Festival and nan China Shanghai International Arts Festival resulted successful unsocial “Tourism + Art” experiences. Other initiatives, for illustration nan Baoshan International Cruise Festival, worked successful tandem pinch cities astir China to create integrated taste tourism experiences, specified arsenic “Cruise + Consumer” and “Cruise + Jiangnan Ancient Town” tours.

As nan show concluded, it reaffirmed Shanghai’s position arsenic a world tourism destination, blending contented pinch modernity and inviting visitors from astir nan world to acquisition its unsocial blend of culture, technology, and joy.