Inbound tourism in Beijing surges during Dragon Boat Festival holiday

(ECNS) — Beijing saw a strong rebound in tourism during the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival holiday, with a notable surge in inbound travel, according to data released Monday by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

From May 31 to June 2, the capital received 8.211 million visitors, marking a 5.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Total tourism revenue reached 10.77 billion yuan (approximately $1.48 billion), up 6.7 percent year-on-year.

Among all visitors, 67,000 were inbound, a year-on-year increase of 35.8 percent, with their spending reaching 720 million yuan, up 41.1 percent from 2023.

Folk culture experiences proved especially popular. Under the theme "Dragon Boat Traditions, Colorful Summer in Beijing," the city organized more than 1,700 cultural events. The Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Zone hosted a Dragon Boat Carnival featuring six races over three days, drawing around 180,000 visitors. Xiangshan Park in Haidian District offered evening light shows and a traditional handicrafts fair, while Gubei Water Town in Miyun District launched immersive experiences including dragon boat tug-of-war, zongzi-making contests, and animated music nights.

The holiday also saw a boom in the performing arts. Beijing hosted 1,119 commercial performances across 316 productions, attracting 458,000 attendees and generating 140 million yuan in ticket sales. Compared to last year, show counts rose 32 percent, attendance jumped 75 percent, and box office revenues surged by 130 percent.

In addition, 11 large-scale events attracted 250,000 spectators and generated 100 million yuan in ticket sales. The increase in cultural and entertainment offerings significantly boosted spending in adjacent sectors such as lodging, dining, transportation, and leisure.

(By Evelyn)