Shenzhen ranks fourth among inbound travel destinations during May Day holiday

Shenzhen saw a sharp rise in inbound tourism and consumer spending during the five-day May Day holiday, with visitors flocking to AI-powered attractions, robotics restaurants and the city’s sprawling electronics markets in a sign of recovering travel demand and growing appetite for tech-driven consumer experiences.

Shoppers and families visit a commercial district in Bao'an during the May Day holiday. The southern Chinese tech hub reported surging tourism and retail traffic as inbound travel continued to thrive. Liu Xudong

Online travel platform Trip.com said Shenzhen ranked as China’s fourth-most popular inbound tourism destination during the holiday, behind Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, as international travelers increasingly returned to major Chinese cities.

The southern Chinese technology hub reported a 110% year-on-year increase in scenic area ticket bookings during the holiday, while several border checkpoints logged record passenger flows.

Foreign visitors browse drone products at Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei. Shenzhen ranked as China’s fourth-most popular inbound travel destination during the holiday period, fueled by rising cross-border tourism and strong demand for tech-related experiences. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

In Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen’s well-known electronics market, daily foot traffic averaged 850,000 visitors during the holiday period, authorities said. Foreign business travelers accounted for around 8,000 visitors per day, while sales of products tied to Huaqiangbei's latest list of top-selling artificial intelligence devices rose more than 50%.

Among the most sought-after products was an AI-powered mobile patrol robot displayed at a Dixintong electronics store, where orders increased by 300% compared with previous periods, according to store staff.

Visitors gather around a humanoid robot performance at a robot 6S store near World · Coco Park in Longgang District during the May Day holiday. Liu Xudong

International visitors watch a robotic beverage-making demonstration at a robot 6S store in Longgang during the May Day holiday. AI-powered attractions and robotics experiences drew large crowds across the city. Liu Xudong

Shenzhen has increasingly incorporated technology into tourism and retail experiences as local governments across China seek new drivers of domestic consumption.

A newly opened robotics-themed restaurant in the city’s Longgang District drew fully booked reservations throughout the holiday. The venue features robots capable of greeting customers, cooking meals and preparing drinks.

The city also rolled out large-scale drone performances and AI-themed interactive exhibits during the holiday. Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum received more than 100,000 visits, with overseas visitor numbers reaching a record daily high, according to local authorities.

Passengers crowd a Shenzhen Metro interchange station during the May Day holiday. The city’s rail network recorded more than 11 million passenger trips for three consecutive days, setting new holiday travel records. Bao'an Daily

Cross-border travel through Shenzhen continued to rebound during the holiday period.

At Huanggang Checkpoint, daily passenger traffic hit a record 337,000 crossings May 2, while Futian Checkpoint processed more than 268,000 travelers in a single day, the highest level since the checkpoint opened, according to Shenzhen border authorities.

The West Kowloon high-speed rail checkpoint linking Shenzhen and Hong Kong handled more than 650,000 passenger trips during the holiday, up 30% from a year earlier.

China has been expanding visa-free entry policies and promoting inbound tourism as policymakers attempt to boost consumption and support broader economic growth amid lingering economic pressures.

Shenzhen’s Metro system also recorded historic passenger volumes during the holiday, with the city’s rail network surpassing 11 million passenger trips for three consecutive days for the first time.