South China's Guangzhou leverages trade fair, National Games to boost inbound tourism, consumption

Guangzhou, the capital city of south China's industrial powerhouse of Guangdong Province, has capitalized on the time-honored Canton Fair and the run-up to the 15th National Games to boost inbound tourism and consumption.

Running from October 15 to November 4, the 2025 Autumn Canton Fair has attracted exhibitors and buyers from around the world. To enrich their stay, local malls have organized special one-day tours that showcase the city's heritage. At major attractions, foreign guests donned traditional Hanfu costumes to immerse themselves in the local culture -- an experience many described as a unique window into Chinese traditions.

"I really like Blue, and I like the design. I like the details, all the golden details, and nice traditional clothes. The tour they are making today is phenomenal. It's super," shared Philip Grotloh, an overseas buyer.

Building on the momentum of the Canton Fair, Guangzhou is seeking to promote its inbound tourism economy. The city has expanded in-store tax refund services covering electronics, clothing, jewelry, watches and more, making it easier for international exhibitors and visitors to shop.

The Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou since its founding in 1957, and has been seen as a barometer of China's foreign trade.

"Guangzhou has so much to offer. Obviously, good food, good shopping, but also really good business opportunities as well. And Guangzhou is just such an approachable city. I feel like I belong here. I feel like I'm home. Like the tax refund service, very efficient, very easy. You just go in and you show them your passport. I actually got a refund just like within five or six minutes. So it was very, very quick," said Lena Gidwani, a buyer from Singapore.

Following the Canton Fair, the 15th National Games of China will be held in Guangzhou from November 9 to 11. Malls across the city plan to offer gifts and attraction tickets to spectators during the event to arouse public enthusiasm for sports and boost consumer spending.

"This [the National Games] is a big opportunity for Guangzhou, already with the Canton Fair bringing in a lot of people. So, the tourism is going to be phenomenal, and I'm sure there's going to be a lot more culture and dining experiences that we can enjoy," said Mo Vasandani, another overseas buyer.

South China's Guangzhou leverages trade fair, National Games to boost inbound tourism, consumption

A total of 35,000 new foreign-invested enterprises were set up in China in the first half of 2026, representing a year-on-year growth of 7.0 percent, the State Administration for Market Regulation said on Saturday.

In the first six months, major export-oriented and frontier provincial-level regions became key players in the growth. The tropical island province of Hainan in south China recorded a 38.6-percent growth in the number of new foreign-invested enterprises in the first half of the year, while the coastal provinces of Shandong, Guangdong and Jiangsu reported year-on-year increases of 15.2 percent, 8.1 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, new foreign-invested enterprises in border provincial-level also logged remarkable growth, with Heilongjiang, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Guangxi and Jilin registering increases of 79.5 percent, 29.1 percent, 16.6 percent and 12.0 percent, respectively over the same period of last year.

The number of newly established enterprises in China with investment from Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partnership countries continued to rise in the first six months, with 11,000 new enterprises established in China by BRI partnership countries, Arab countries and African Union countries, up 19.3 percent, 20.6 percent, and 42.8 percent respectively.

China's consumer market is also emerging as a key area for attracting foreign investment. In the first half, newly established foreign-invested enterprises in the health and social work sector, wholesale and retail trade, and accommodation and catering services grew by 27.1 percent 11.9 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively.

The country unveiled a 15-measure action plan to stabilize and optimize foreign investment utilization in June, focusing on expanding market access, streamlining investment procedures, boosting investment promotion, strengthening services and safeguards for foreign investors, and improving foreign capital management.

A new version of the Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment, which took effect on Feb 1, aims to steer more foreign capital into advanced manufacturing, modern services, high-tech industries, energy conservation and environmental protection, as well as into the central, western and northeastern regions of the country.

Number of newly established foreign-invested firms in China up 7 percent in January-June