Guangdong province's tourism sector celebrated a strong start to 2026, solidifying the province's dual role as a major national source of outbound travelers and a premier domestic destination during the New Year's Day holiday from Jan 1-3.

Preliminary data indicate a remarkable surge, with the province receiving 17.88 million tourist visits during the holiday period, representing a daily average increase of 34.8 percent year-on-year. Tourism revenue reached approximately 10 billion yuan ( $1.43 billion), up 39.8 percent daily on average. Industry reports from major platforms like Ctrip rank Guangdong first nationally in both visitor numbers and tourism spending for the period.

The holiday travel landscape was marked by diverse and robust demand. While short-distance trips within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area constituted a significant portion of travelers, long-haul travel also flourished with people going north for skiing and south for warmth. Package tours to Hong Kong and Macao saw explosive growth, with some agencies reporting a nearly fivefold year-on-year increase.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Women's Half Marathon is held during the New Year's Day holiday, attracting many attendees and visitors to Guangzhou. [Photo/Nanfang plus]

Vibrant cultural and sporting events served as key economic drivers. Cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen hosted over 100 popular concerts and performances, many selling out weeks in advance. This "event economy" significantly boosted accommodation, with hotel bookings around major venues more than doubling. Simultaneously, marathons and themed local festivals in places like Foshan and Jiangmen attracted large crowds by blending tourism with culture and sports.

The boom in tourism was supported by record-breaking mobility. Key metro systems in Guangzhou and Shenzhen handled unprecedented passenger volumes, while border crossings like Gongbei Port in Zhuhai saw a six-year high in daily crossings, exceeding 440,000 entries and exits on Jan 2.

The comprehensive boom across short-haul, inter-provincial, and outbound travel, fueled by innovative offerings and strong infrastructure, marks a highly optimistic beginning for Guangdong's tourism industry in 2026 and signals its enduring appeal.