Shenzhen recorded 3.216 million tourist visits and generated 2.12 billion yuan (US$290 million) in tourism revenue during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, local authorities said yesteray.

The figures, covering April 4-6, were released by the Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau, based on preliminary estimates.

Visitors take photos during the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Flower Show at Bijia Mountain Sports Park in Shenzhen during the Qingming Festival holiday. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

The city’s tourism sector benefited from overlapping holiday schedules in Hong Kong and Macao, as well as China’s “spring break” travel policies, which helped drive visitor numbers and spending.

Data from Alibaba-backed travel platform Fliggy showed Shenzhen ranked fifth among China’s most popular domestic destinations during the holiday, behind Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou.

Visitors crowd the inaugural Soft Baking Festival at One Avenue, Longhua on April 4, the first day of the Qingming holiday in Shenzhen. The event drew large crowds of residents and tourists. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

Booking data from Tongcheng Travel indicated strong demand for higher-end accommodation in Shenzhen, with reservations for upscale hotels rising 190% year-on-year. Popular attractions including Window of the World and Happy Valley Shenzhen also saw increased bookings, with bundled hotel-and-ticket packages selling out ahead of the holiday.

Theme parks and cultural attractions were among the main draws.

Window of the World hosted its “World Culture Festival” event, featuring live music, intangible cultural heritage displays and international-themed performances. Meanwhile, Splendid China Folk Culture Village launched its flagship 2026 “Guochao Festival,” alongside upgraded nighttime programming branded as “Splendid Starlight Night,” combining traditional Chinese culture with modern entertainment formats.

The broader Guangdong province also saw strong tourism growth. Fliggy data showed travel service bookings for destinations across the province exceeded levels seen during the same period last year, while car-hailing and transport-related bookings rose 2.5 times year-on-year.

Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai remained the most popular destinations in the province, while smaller cities such as Maoming, Jieyang and Yunfu recorded some of the fastest growth.