The Labor Day holiday period saw robust demand across national consumption and cultural tourism markets. On May 5, the WeChat team released a Labor Day data report indicating that during the first three days of the holiday, domestic sectors such as catering, tourist attractions, and entertainment experienced concentrated growth. The number of times mini-programs for the film and performance industry were opened increased by 98% compared to the previous period. Inbound tourism remained vibrant, with the number of transactions made by overseas visitors using the "external card binding" feature rising 58% year-on-year. Daily average usage of mini-programs by inbound tourists grew 42% compared to the same period last year.
Live performances, sporting events, local cuisine, and unique cultural attractions significantly boosted urban consumption. The combination of the holiday period and concert tours led to crowded conditions in many cities, with destinations like Chongqing exhibiting a new trend of being "ignited by content and paying for experiences."
Chongqing, along with Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, ranked among the top cities for consumption power. The report showed that from May 1 to May 3, transaction volumes via WeChat Pay in the catering, attractions, entertainment, and public transport sectors saw comprehensive growth. Public transport transactions saw a notable year-on-year increase, highlighting "consumption on the move" as a pillar of the holiday economy.
The rise of pet-friendly restaurants and hotels encouraged more people to travel with their pets, leading to a significant increase in pet-related spending. Transactions for pet food, supplies, and services via WeChat Pay rose 62% during the first three days of the holiday, while orders for pet supplies in small WeChat stores increased 127% year-on-year. Pet-themed activities are becoming a new leisure trend for holidays.
Unlike previous "check-in" style tourism, this year's Labor Day holiday emphasized traveling "for content." Performances, sporting events, and local food served as new motivations for travel. For example, sporting events like the YueBA and SuChao gained unprecedented popularity. Related transaction volume surged 153%, and user-generated short videos about these events on Channels saw significant increases.
Searches for tourist attractions ranked Tiananmen Square, Orange Isle, and Longevity Mountain Wuxia City as the top three. Longevity Mountain Wuxia City, in particular, saw its search popularity soar due to its immersive experience combining performances and visitor interaction.
Cross-border travel continued its "two-way exchange" trend. The expansion of China's visa-free policy and improved mobile payment convenience smoothed the travel experience for international visitors. Preferred outbound destinations for mainland tourists included Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Transaction volumes in South Korea and Malaysia grew 150% and 140% year-on-year, respectively, while mini-program usage in Singapore increased over fivefold.
Spending by Hong Kong residents in mainland China remained strong, with transaction volume via WeChat Pay HK growing 78% year-on-year. Popular merchants included Luckin Coffee, Heytea, BABACHAJI, Miniso, Sam's Club, Yonghui Supermarket, and Pop Mart. Activities like drinking milk tea, shopping at supermarkets, and unboxing blind boxes illustrated the integration of lifestyles in the Greater Bay Area.
Meanwhile, overseas visitors using the "external card binding" feature for WeChat Pay transactions increased 58% year-on-year, with Guangzhou seeing a 68% rise. Benefiting from visa-free policies and the spillover effect of the Canton Fair, inbound tourism is expected to continue growing. The top sectors for inbound tourist transactions via WeChat Pay were e-commerce, catering, and comprehensive local services, demonstrating how convenient payments help international visitors integrate into local life and allow businesses to benefit directly from the inbound tourism surge.