AKTUELLT JUST NU

China’s May Day Inbound Tourists Seek Bathhouses, Bargains Beyond Big Cities

Inbound tourists embraced new ways to experience China during the May Day holiday, staying at bathhouses in Shanghai and shopping for bargains in Yiwu, as bookings for inbound travel products jumped 55 percent from a year earlier.

HopeGoo, Tongcheng Travel’s international platform, reported the increase during the holiday period. Beyond first-tier cities such as Shanghai, smaller destinations with distinctive local features are becoming increasingly popular among overseas visitors.

The trend reflects how foreign tourists are using artificial intelligence tools, social media, and local travel operators to plan more independent and experience-focused trips in China. Bathhouses and Yiwu International Trade City, the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities, have emerged as two such attractions.

Inbound travel to China is also spreading beyond traditional sightseeing routes, with tourists seeking out local consumption scenes, specialty markets, and lower-cost shopping experiences.

A couple from Germany is visiting China for the second time. During their previous trip, they visited Beijing, Xi’an, and Chengdu. This time, during the May Day holiday, they entered China through Shanghai and planned their itinerary independently.

"When planning our trip, we asked DeepSeek and found that experiencing bathhouses is a new trend," Vivienne from Germany said to Yicai. "Upon arriving, we discovered a new consumption model that we have never seen in Germany. In addition to bathing and hot springs, it also incorporates dining, gaming, movies, karaoke, and even office spaces. This is the first time we've encountered such a model, and we find it very interesting."

At a bathhouse in Shanghai’s Wujiaochang area, Yicai saw many inbound tourists from Europe and South Korea during the holiday. Like the German couple, Mr. Park and his wife from South Korea were also traveling independently and came to the bathhouse after seeing recommendations from AI tools and social media.

From Bathhouses to Wholesale Markets

Many inbound tourists also chose to visit distinctive smaller cities. Yiwu, for example, has become one of the most popular inbound travel destinations. The city received 681,000 inbound business travelers in 2025, up almost 20 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by Jinhua.

Anthony from Poland traveled to China with his extended family of 10 during this year’s May Day holiday. Following an itinerary arranged by a local tour operator, they first arrived in Shanghai, then went to Yiwu, and later visited Xi’an, spending about two weeks in China.

Although Anthony and his family are not professional wholesalers, they were eager to shop at the world-renowned Yiwu International Trade City. He had done some research and found that clothes and toys there are very affordable. His family was ready to "shop till we drop," he grinned.

"In the past, most of the visitors were overseas businesspeople coming to purchase goods in bulk," a stationery vendor at the Yiwu Market told Yicai. "Now, we are seeing a significant increase in individual tourists arriving through inbound travel."

During this May Day holiday, there were many overseas visitors, the same seller said. "Unlike wholesalers who typically buy hundreds of stationery sets at a time, inbound tourists might only purchase a few. So, we’ve adjusted our approach based on customer needs -- now, you can buy just one set if you like."

Ali, a visitor from Egypt, found a Chinese folding fan priced at CNY5 (US 70 cents) at the Yiwu Market. After negotiating with the vendor for 10 minutes, he bought five fans for CNY3 each.

"These fans have beautiful Chinese patterns, and they will make great gifts for his friends back home. The price is very affordable," Ali happily told the reporter.

Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were the most popular domestic destinations for inbound tourists during the May Day holiday, according to Qunar.Com. By growth, the number of foreign tourists flying to Sanya and Jieyang more than doubled, the fastest increase, while flights to Xi’an jumped more than 70 percent. Yiwu was also very popular.