China's booming tech‑themed tourism is drawing in global travelers eager to experience futuristic gadgets and innovation firsthand.
In south China’s tech hub of Shenzhen, visitors are being wowed by drone deliveries, robot servers and other high‑tech experiences. One drone station has become a daily magnet for international tourists.
Hegdda, a visitor from Mexico, said she was struck by the advanced technology after trying the drone station in person for the first time.
"I'm super happy. It's really a nice experience to do it. And it's like China is living in a different world. It's super amazing," she said.
"I think it's really good. We got an ice cream served by a robot and we see the pizzas delivered by drone. It's pretty cool," said Matt Kynaston, Vice President, Strategic Sourcing at Excelitas Technologies Corp.
At one flagship tech retail hub - Inno 100, foreign visitors could try various tech gadgets.
"Wow, it's so fascinating. We came to Shenzhen to see all your innovation and now we can live it. It's not only seeing it, we can live it here. So this is so exciting," said Gerold Siller, a visitor from Italy.
"In terms of the technology, it's very advanced. And I appreciate how they designed the rooms to showcase the technology, allow us to interact with it," said Drew Sisera, a visitor from Canada.
These spots are also part of a tech-themed tour launched by local Shenzhen travel agencies.
"Our tech-themed tours are flying off the shelves. We kick off the itinerary at this showroom, where visitors get to test drone food delivery and self-driving taxis. Plenty of foreign travelers come to Shenzhen solely for this one-of-a-kind tech excursion," said Hou Siqi, a tour guide from Century Holiday Travel Group Co., Ltd.
"Since February this year, our store has seen a sharp uptick in foreign visitors. Amid the summer peak season, we welcome 100 to 200 international tourists daily, pushing foot traffic to record highs. Visitors are most drawn to hands-on demos of 3D printers and exoskeleton robots," said Ye Jialin, operating manager of Inno 100.
Tech-focused trips to China are also thriving in Shanghai. Since 2023, bespoke travel firm Glopen has run group tech tours. Their guides are leading visitors to experience new energy vehicles and robots.
"Really cool cars, really advanced cars. In America, you only really see Teslas on the road. So it's cool seeing all these different cars and seeing how the seats move and all the different technology in the car. So it was very different from what I see back home. It's much more advanced," said Devin Paladino, a tourist from the U.S.
"We had a robotic taxi tour. So it was great. It was a driverless taxi so we can't get that at home. So experiences we've had today, we don't have in Australia," said two visitors from Australia.
The firm has served roughly 1,500 overseas tourists in the past year, with total clients projected to hit around 2,000 by late 2026.
"There were more and more demands for the tech tour. I think the trend will still continue to grow. I think it's a large enough market. I think there will be more and more people, especially after it's like a snowball. Our growth has been quite a surprising growth. We have increased our revenue by five times between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Every year we're growing about three to five times our revenue," said Shen Boyang, founder and CEO of GIopen.
Tech travel boom gives global tourists glimpse of China's innovation-driven future
