International guests and Fujian locals celebrate the Chinese New Year together. [Photo/ Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism]

Fujian's nine-day Spring Festival holiday concluded with impressive achievements, driven by over 4,300 cultural and tourism activities and 560 cultural benefit initiatives. These efforts led to record-breaking growth in the holiday tourism economy.

According to third-party estimates, the province welcomed 45.32 million tourist visits, with total tourism expenditure reaching 39.76 billion yuan ($5.79 billion) – increases of 25.8 percent and 28.9 percent compared to the 2025 Spring Festival holiday.

The "Fujian-Style New Year" campaign significantly boosted its appeal during the Spring Festival holiday, offering a diverse array of cultural and tourism activities. The province hosted over 506 live performances by State-owned art troupes, drawing 90,160 in-person attendees and 10.51 million online viewers across 73 streamed events. Museums organized nearly 300 unique events, while 443 folk custom activities were presented – including intangible cultural heritage showcases – attracted nearly 180,000 participants.

The "Fujian Lifestyle" initiative has introduced 100 new cultural and tourism experiences, significantly boosting consumer interest. The province's tourist attractions at the 4A-level and above received 14.28 million tourist visits, a 14.6 percent increase from the previous year. Red tourism is gaining traction, while coastal and urban tourism continue to thrive, with urban leisure sites emerging as the most popular choices.

Innovative experiences are invigorating the market. Digital tourism, including drone light shows, VR/AR exhibitions, and immersive theater, adds a modern twist to traditional celebrations. Interactive events like Xiamen's "Robot Inheritable Cultural Heritage Show" are particularly popular. Cross-sector collaboration is fostering a comprehensive consumption ecosystem, with bustling nighttime activities.

Fujian is also seeing a rise in inbound tourism. Ctrip data indicates a 16.7 percent year-on-year increase in inbound tourists, with spending up 29.6 percent.