Foreign media say the Dragon Boat Festival holiday is driving up consumption in China’s cultural and tourism sectors

As the Dragon Boat Festival holiday approaches, China’s cultural and tourism markets in many places are seeing a surge in travel and spending. The National Immigration Administration expects the country’s average daily inbound and outbound passenger traffic at ports of entry and exit to reach 2.2 million during the holiday, up from the same period last year, indicating that demand for crossborder travel continues to recover. According to foreign media reports, the Dragon Boat Festival is evolving from a traditional holiday into an important cultural tourism setting. Activities such as dragon boat racing, making zongzi, hanging mugwort, wearing sachets, and folk culture experiences are attracting tourists to shift from simply “seeing the sights” to “taking part,” with immersive experiences becoming the main selling point of holiday tourism. The article notes that the Dragon Boat Festival was included in China’s national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2006 and was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Tourism products centered on intangible cultural heritage are bringing new visitor flows and consumption opportunities to various regions, while also driving benefits for dining, accommodation, transportation, cultural and creative products, and scenic area activities.