China's movie market boosted as holiday promotions for ticket holders spurs consumption

China's movie market has received a big boost during the country's May Day holiday period with new cinematic releases proving a hit at the box office and a series of promotional offerings for film ticket purchasers further spurring consumption.

The five-day May Day holiday, which began on Friday, saw a bumper 18 films hitting screens across China, drawing out film fans up and down the country and seeing the total box office revenue during the holiday exceed 700 million yuan (over 102 million U.S. dollars) as of Tuesday afternoon.

This year, however, the box office boom has gone far beyond the screening rooms, as special promotions have popped up allowing moviegoers to enjoy various discounts simply by showing their ticket stubs at shopping malls.

ID: 8477855 This burgeoning "ticket-stub economy" has become a strategic driver for consumption in recent months in China, enabling tickets from cultural events, sports matches or transportation services to be re-used to access discounts, redeem points or unlock other benefits in subsequent spending.

At a popular commercial district in Beijing's Wukesong area, cinemas are cooperating with other business operators to roll out more discounts in an effort to attract fans to attend concerts at a nearby music venue.

"We have over 100 partner merchants. With a movie ticket stub, the moviegoers can enjoy discounts at our designated partner stores. The Wukesong commercial circle is becoming popular among young people and because it is close to a concert venue, a wide variety of consumers are coming to spend here," said Cen Junlan, a cinema market manager.

The activity also extends to the beauty sector, with one salon owner saying their packages are being offered heavily discounted to moviegoers.

"Customers who have a movie ticket stub can enjoy a 10-percent discount on all products and services. We offer eyebrow shaping, skincare, facial treatments, and makeup products and they are all at a discount," said Su Su, a beauty salon owner.

Restaurants and bakeries are also seeing an uptick in revenue during the holiday thanks to the increasing inflows of film fans who are taking full advantage of their movie tickets.

"The customers who have a movie ticket stub can enjoy a 15-percent discount on their entire bill, and this has seen the number of customers coming to our restaurant increasing by roughly 20 to 30 percent. For businesses like us, the promotional campaign gives us a bigger exposure and draws more customers. We can feel the tangible benefits of this ticket-stub economy," said Zhao Jiao, a restaurant staff.

"The customers who have a movie theater ticket stub can receive a free rich milk ice cream with any purchase. Our store has seen a noticeable rise in customer flow after these new movies were released, bringing in several hundred customers per day. Meanwhile, our overall revenue has increased, which is significantly driven by the value of customers' orders," said Xu Qiushi, a bakery staff member.

China's movie market boosted as holiday promotions for ticket holders spurs consumption

China’s transport authorities mobilized rail, road, air and waterway resources on Tuesday, the final day of the five‑day May Day holiday, to manage the peak return flow as passenger volumes surged nationwide.

The national railway system expects 23 million passenger trips on the day, with operators adding 2,225 extra trains and deploying capacity on popular routes and peak hours to handle the return flow from smaller cities to major hubs.

In Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, 134 trains have been temporarily added for high-demand directions including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

"Railway return travel peaks today. In light of short stops and high passenger volumes, we have strengthened coordination with intermediate stations and offered guidance to passengers for smooth boarding and alighting to prevent crowding and stampedes," said Ji Yudi, a conductor of China Railway Zhengzhou Group.

Regional operators in Beijing, Chengdu and other cities have also proactively coordinated with local transit authorities to extend bus and subway operating hours, increase nighttime service frequency, and boost taxi and ride-hailing availability to ensure seamless transfers for late-arriving passengers.

With respect to highways, the national highway network is projected to record approximately 61 million vehicle trips on Tuesday. The peak traffic window is between 16:00 and 18:00, with congestion and slow-moving traffic likely around major city entry and exit points, as well as airport expressways in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

To ease holiday congestion, traffic police in south China's Guangdong Province have rolled out tidal lanes and flow control measures at 24 key highway sections in nine cities.

"Using a highway interconnect system, we have conducted remote flow diversion. During this morning's peak return period, traffic efficiency on the Erenhot-Guangzhou Expressway improved significantly, showing no sign of congestion," said Dai Zhouwu, a local traffic police officer.

By water, an estimated 1.035 million passenger trips are expected to be made across the country on Tuesday, marking a 1.4-percent increase year on year.

To ensure smooth strait crossing from south China's Hainan Province, the maritime authorities in Zhanjiang City, south China's Guangdong Province have urged operators to supplement fixed sailings with extra voyages and optimized crew rotations to meet surging vessel demand.

Meanwhile, China's civil aviation sector is projected to carry 2.3 million passengers on Tuesday.

The Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, one of the country's busiest airports in southwest China's Sichuan Province, are offering free luggage pick-up and delivering services to passengers arriving from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

China’s transport network braces for record May Day return traffic