Shopping and entertainment centers in major Chinese cities saw a major consumption boom during the country's five-day May Day holiday, driven by sales promotions and local government support.
The coastal metropolis of Shanghai saw both its online and offline consumption tick up during the May Day holiday, which ended Sunday. Total sales of consumer products reached 53 billion yuan (about 7.3 billion U.S. dollars).
Meanwhile, Beijing held major consumer events partnering with European cities like Austria's Vienna and Switzerland's Bern and Zurich. Dubbed the 2024 International Dual-City Consumer Festival, the event was launched on Wednesday, the first day of the holiday.
The promotions effectively helped push up sales in the Chinese capital, with combined sales in retail, catering and e-commerce reaching nearly 5 billion yuan (about 690 million U.S. dollars).
Nanchang City in east China's Jiangxi Province issued consumer vouchers totaling 60 million yuan (about 8 million U.S. dollars), with more than 3,000 companies and merchants participating and driving consumption to increase by more than 1.5 billion yuan (about 207 million U.S. dollars). "With so many stores launching sales and the government issuing online consumption vouchers, we actually enjoyed plenty of discounts for the goods we bought. So, it's a very good bargain," said Xiao Ya, a Nanchang resident.
The vigorous holiday consumption also extended into the country's rural regions.
Data from online travel platforms showed that during the holiday, hotel bookings and scenic spot ticket orders increased significantly. A new trend was also observed among holidaymakers who tended toward less popular tourist destinations to taste local delicacies or partake in new entertainment trends.
Zhuxi County in central China's Hubei Province built an opera-themed cultural district, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the charm of Chinese traditional opera. The county's revenue from farm-related tourism and homestay services reached 350 million yuan (about 48 million U.S. dollars) during the holiday.
Flocks of tourists were attracted to the outskirts of Heze City in east China's Shandong Province to enjoy more than 600 hectares of roses in full bloom. The city also saw a sharp increase in the sales of creative products made from the flower.
"I just bought some rose tea and rose cakes. I want to bring them home to share with my family," said a tourist.
Another opera-themed scenic area in Zhengzhou City in central China's Henan Province offered new experiences for tourists by combining live entertainment with film screenings, exhibitions, and the display of intangible cultural heritage items. As a result, the scenic area saw a nearly 40-percent increase in revenue during the holiday.
"The scenic area boasts so many sightseeing programs that I even can't see all of them. The ticket price is well worth it," said a tourist named Feng Hao.
As new consumption trends continue to emerge, the vast potential of China's domestic consumption market is expected to display strong resilience against the backdrop of a complex international situation.
China sees consumption boom during May Day holiday
