Guangzhou welcomed more than 15.55 million visitors during the Spring Festival holiday, representing a staggering increase of over 58% compared to the previous year. Among these visitors, the number of out-of-town tourists nearly doubled, reaching close to 6.25 million. Consumption in the cultural and tourism sectors exceeded 11.2 billion RMB, marking a nearly 65% increase compared to the previous year, according to official statistics.
The Liwan District Business and Investment Promotion Bureau released the data for the Spring Festival period. According to their calculation, during this time period, the turnover of the catering industry in Liwan District exceeded 280 million RMB, a year-on-year increase of approximately 15%. The turnover of the accommodation industry reached 27 million RMB, representing a year-on-year increase of about 50%. The six major shopping malls in the district saw a total foot traffic of approximately 2.9 million people, marking an increase of about 30% compared to the previous year.
The return of the Baietan fireworks performance after a hiatus of 12 years, held on the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year (February 10th), attracted huge crowds to Shamian, Huangsha Aquatic Products Market, and Link Plaza-Guangzhou, where viewers could enjoy the fireworks up close. This surge in visitors significantly boosted consumption in the catering and accommodation sectors.
According to surveys, restaurants and eateries such as J·M chef, Tao Ran Xuan, Lan Kwai Fong, and those within the Huangsha Aquatic Products Market all had seating rates exceeding 95% on the night of the fireworks show. The White Swan Hotel on Shamian Island was fully booked for nine consecutive days during the Spring Festival, with a revenue exceeding 20 million RMB, setting a new record. Similarly, Guangdong Victory Hotel experienced full occupancy for six consecutive days during the Spring Festival, with a year-on-year revenue increase of over 90%.
Several well-established restaurants in Liwan District seized the opportunity of the Chinese New Year's Eve to launch "dragon-themed" dishes and offer traditional Chinese New Year dishes for dine-in and takeaway, catering to the family reunion dinner demands. Restaurants like Guangzhou Restaurant saw almost 100% reservation rates for their New Year's Eve dinners, while Panxi Restaurant, Taotaoju, Lianxianglou, and Yanhui all achieved reservation rates of over 90%.
Among them, Guangzhou Restaurant saw the highest revenue increase of 95% for its Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. During the Spring Festival holiday, revenue for restaurants such as Guangzhou Restaurant, Lianxianglou, Taotaoju, and Yanhui increased by more than 20% year-on-year.
During the Spring Festival, the Yongqing Fang area set up dragon-themed lanterns and introduced Chinese New Year goods, attracting numerous visitors. The average daily foot traffic in the area exceeded 350,000 people. Yongqing Fang (including the Cantonese Opera Art Museum) had a peak daily foot traffic of 110,000 people during the Spring Festival, representing a 44.5% increase compared to the previous year, while the Shangxiajiu area saw a peak daily foot traffic of over 50,000 people.
Shopping malls in Liwan District launched a series of promotional activities during the Spring Festival and offered discounts on various categories including dining, jewelry, and flowers, in conjunction with Valentine's Day. According to surveys, Liwan's shopping malls saw an increase of over 30% in foot traffic during the Spring Festival compared to the previous year.
