Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

THIS year’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, saw a surge in consumption in Shenzhen, as reflected in the data provided by the Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau.

During the eight-day holiday, foot traffic in the city’s  key commercial areas soared by 122% year on year, with sales up by 19.8% yearly, the bureau said.

National Day holiday, dubbed as China’s “Golden Week,” normally runs for seven days. However, this year, it coincided with the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and was extended to eight days.

A longer holiday has rekindled people’s fervor for travel and leisure, showcasing a vibrant travel and entertainment landscape with crowded tourist spots and a thriving consumer market.

Statistics showed that the daily foot traffic in the Futian CBD shopping area reached 780,000 visits, up by 451% year on year; while that in the Huaqiangbei commercial area in Futian District reached 490,000 visits, increasing 378% year on year.

From Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, OCT Harbor in Nanshan District received 500,000 visits, up by 66% compared to the National Day holiday in 2022 and 10% compared to the same period in 2019. The popular tourist destination that combines commerce, entertainment, culture and tourism achieved a revenue exceeding 65 million (US$8.9 million) yuan during the holiday, surging 101% year on year.

According to data released by Meituan, China’s leading on-demand service platform, Shenzhen’s service retail ranked among the top five in China in the first six days of the holiday, up by 62% year on year in daily average service retail sales. Nighttime orders also saw a surge in Shenzhen during the holiday, increasing by over 85 percentage points year on year in consumer spending after 9 p.m.

A wide variety of holiday travel experiences has also injected new vitality into the city’s consumer market. According to a report released by online travel platform www.ctrip.com, the number of tourist orders to Shenzhen skyrocketed by 535% compared to last year.

Exhibitions were also a main driver of growth in holiday consumer spending. The four-day video games festival held in Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center attracted over 100,000 animation and games enthusiasts from across the country, with tickets all sold out, according to the city’s commerce bureau.     (More on P2)