"Triple falsehoods stacking" ignites a wave of bidirectional pursuit in the Greater Bay Area, with cultural and tourism consumption's "emotional value" reaching its peak

Ask AI · How does the Spring Break policy catalyze new travel trends for families in the Greater Bay Area?

Southern Finance 21st Century Economic Report Reporter Tian Jing, reporting from Macau

The 2026 Qingming holiday has come to an end. For the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this Qingming holiday (April 4–6) is highly significant. The first large-scale implementation of “Spring Break” for primary and secondary schools in mainland China coincided with Hong Kong and Macau’s public holiday for “Easter,” and in some Greater Bay Area cities it formed a 5-day “extended holiday.”

With multiple favorable factors resonating together, the Greater Bay Area’s cultural and tourism market is “in full bloom,” and tourists’ travel consumption habits are shifting from “buying goods” to “buying experiences,” from “something occasional” to “a daily choice.”

UNWTO expert Jia Yunfeng, in an interview with Southern Finance reporters, said that this year, the “spring and autumn holidays for primary and secondary schools” were included in the government work report for the first time. In many parts of the country, spring breaks are being connected with the Qingming holiday, forming a “Spring Golden Week,” directly catalyzing a family-based travel boom.

From an economic ledger perspective, the effect of this policy combination is very significant. Taking Guangzhou and Shenzhen as examples, in just the three days of the Qingming holiday, the total cultural and tourism consumption in Guangzhou and Shenzhen combined exceeded 7.2 billion yuan.

Judging from the performance of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, the driving effect of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen dual cores remains prominent. During the three days of the Qingming holiday, Guangzhou received nearly 5.56 million resident visitors, up 1.4% year over year, and Shenzhen received 3.216 million visitors.

Jia Yunfeng also pointed out that Qingming is not only a holiday but also a traditional solar term. In the Greater Bay Area market, a “grave-sweeping + spring outing” composite itinerary has emerged, driving huge demand for eco-green spaces, green rural areas, and seaside parks in the near-suburban areas of cities.

In terms of cross-border mobility, the Zhuhai highway port of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge has once again seen a “northbound” surge. A large number of Hong Kong and Macao residents drive “north” to pay respects to their ancestors and go on spring outings, keeping passenger and vehicle flows at the port running at sustained high levels. According to statistics, from April 3 to 6 April at 15:00, the Zhuhai port cumulatively processed more than 453,600 inbound and outbound persons, and more than 81,200 vehicles. Among them, inbound and outbound passenger flow remained above 110,000 for three consecutive days, showing a typical “double peak” pattern.

“Come back four or five times a month. During Qingming, I specifically bring my family back to Foshan to pay respects to our ancestors and go on a spring outing—‘Hong Kong car northbound’ is so convenient. Just step on the gas and you’re home,” Macau car owner Huang Huixian told Southern Finance reporters.

Data shows that among the inbound and outbound passenger flows during the holiday, residents of Hong Kong and Macao accounted for 341,700 trips, about 75.3% of the total; Hong Kong and Macao single-plate vehicles exceeded 56,000 trips, about 69.1% of the total vehicle flow. Family group travel and self-driving trips with friends and relatives have become the mainstream, forming a new cross-border travel trend of “paying respects to ancestors + tourism.”

Cross-border mobility has taken on a hot scene of “a two-way rush toward each other.” Besides Hong Kong and Macao residents heading north, mainland residents heading south remain just as enthusiastic. “Taking advantage of the short Qingming holiday, my friends and I went to Macau to visit attractions and taste food—we can go and return the same day, which is very easy,” said the family of Wei Xiaojun from Zhuhai, who exited smoothly with a Hong Kong and Macao travel endorsement. According to statistics, during the Qingming holiday, mainland travelers who went to Hong Kong and Macao via the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge reached 44,000 trips.

Data released by the Hong Kong Immigration Department shows that on the first day of the Qingming holiday (April 4), all control points in Hong Kong recorded a combined total of nearly 1.24 million entries and exits. Among them, the number of entries was 529,000 and the number of exits was 707,000. Mainland visitor entries reached 132,000. High-speed rail West Kowloon, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, and Shenzhen Bay became the most popular entry ports, recording 39,000, 24,000, and 18,000 entries respectively.

Figures from Macau are also impressive. The “Easter” holiday coincided with Qingming. Although the weather was cloudy with occasional showers, it did not dampen travelers’ enthusiasm to go out. According to the Macau Public Security Police Force, on Qingming Day (April 5), the total cumulative number of entries and exits across all ports reached 715,900 for the whole day, including 346,300 entry and exit travelers in total, and 172,000 inbound travelers.

In this regard, Jia Yunfeng analyzed that “northbound consumption by people from Hong Kong” has shifted from being driven by novelty to becoming a lifestyle choice—seeking cost-effective dining, leisure and entertainment, and convenient services in places such as Shenzhen. “Mainland southbound,” meanwhile, focuses more on Hong Kong’s scarce cultural products such as international art exhibitions, concerts, sports events, and duty-free shopping. Convenient transportation within the Greater Bay Area makes cross-border mobility extremely smooth, while the external air transport network attracts visitors from around the world. The Qingming holiday has validated the Greater Bay Area’s core function as a “domestic-international dual-circulation” tourism hub.

The improvement of transportation infrastructure provides support for this kind of high-frequency cross-border mobility. The Greater Bay Area’s “one-hour living circle” has moved from concept to daily reality. On the first day of the holiday, the vehicle traffic volume on expressways in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area was about 7.6025 million vehicle trips, and the Shenzhong Link (Shenzhen–Zhongshan) had a vehicle traffic volume of about 182,200 trips, setting a new historic high. On the first day of the holiday, the Guangzhou Railway Group sent 3.356 million passengers, also setting a new record for the same period.

On the morning of April 3, high-speed rail tourism special trains G2946, G4258, and G4032 successively departed from Shenzhen North Station, heading toward Guiyang, Ganzhou, and Guilin. Three special trains carrying about 2,400 Hong Kong passengers set off on a springtime outing and flower-viewing journey amid lush spring scenery. These three trains are the first batch of high-speed rail tourism special trains launched in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area this year.

The biggest variable of this year’s Qingming holiday is the implementation of the “Spring Break” system. Multiple places including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Guangdong have carried out pilot programs for spring breaks for primary and secondary schools at the same time, and when combined with Qingming, it forms a 5- to 6-day long holiday.

Taking Foshan as an example, according to the Foshan Municipal Education Bureau, from April 2 to 3, schools across the city at the compulsory education stage ushered in two days of spring break, seamlessly connecting with the Qingming holiday from April 4 to 6, forming a five-day mini-holiday.

With the holiday period extended, tourists are no longer satisfied with day trips and same-day returns. More people choose to stay in one place for 2–3 days to do slow-paced activities such as deep museum visits, camping in suburban parks, and attending workshops. This directly boosts the booking volume and average room rates of mid-to-high-end hotels and resort homestays in core cities and nearby areas such as Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Huizhou, giving visitors more time for “secondary spending” at the destination such as dining, evening entertainment, and shopping.

Tongcheng Travel data shows that during Qingming, the share of parent-child travel orders in Guangdong (mainly Greater Bay Area cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen) exceeded 40%, up 12 percentage points year over year; orders from spring-break provinces such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang to Guangdong accounted for nearly 30%, and the vast majority went to Greater Bay Area cities. Reservation demand for high-quality hotels in Guangzhou and Shenzhen surged by 210% and 190% year over year respectively, leading nationwide. Theme parks such as Guangzhou Chimelong Tourism Resort, Shenzhen Happy Valley, and Window of the World sold out their “hotel + tickets” packages in advance. The share of parent-child travel orders exceeded 40%, up 12 percentage points year over year.

On the Fliggy platform, the booking volume of travel services for Guangdong destinations surpassed that of the same period last year. The number of car service items booked increased 2.5 times year over year. Among them, reservations for Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai were the hottest.

This means family users are no longer content with “touring in a hurry,” and are willing to pay for better accommodation experiences and in-depth cultural products.

Cities such as Foshan, Dongguan, and Huizhou also show active performance. Huizhou Luofu Mountain scenic area launched a series of themed activities called “Qingfeng Aiyun, Mountain and Water Blessings,” combining traditional health-preserving culture with modern wellness concepts; after undergoing comprehensive renovation and upgrades, the Fanghua Valley Children’s Camp in Foshan Zinan Culture and Tourism Zone officially opened during the Qingming holiday; in Jiangmen, major cultural venues meticulously prepared diversified activities, using forms such as exhibitions, study tours, and performances to connect past and present, allowing visitors to feel the charm of overseas Chinese culture in the hometown of overseas Chinese. Each of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area has its own highlights, forming a differentiated and complementary cultural tourism supply ecosystem.

This year’s Qingming holiday happened to overlap with Hong Kong and Macau’s public holiday for “Easter” and the weekend. As a result, passenger flows at all entry and exit ports saw a two-way peak. Cities across the Greater Bay Area’s mainland took precise advantage of the travel trend of citizens and tourists going “nearby and for micro-vacations,” and rolled out a wide range of distinctive activities such as flower viewing and spring outings, night-time entertainment, technology experiences, and national-style intangible cultural heritage. This makes the market show clear characteristics of high frequency, lightweight consumption, and an active night economy, painting a new picture of springtime cultural tourism consumption with blossoms blooming in many places and full of vitality.

Data from Tongcheng Travel’s HopeGoo platform shows that during the holiday, the number of orders from Hong Kong tourists booking Guangdong tourism products through the platform increased by more than 3 times year over year, with hotel reservation demand rising by more than 8 times.

Jia Yunfeng said that compared with previous years, this year’s Qingming holiday in the Greater Bay Area saw tourists shift from “buying goods” to “buying experiences.” There is stronger willingness to pay for a concert, a themed exhibition, an outdoor adventure, or a handicrafts class, and emotional value has become an important driver of consumption.

He also said that during this Qingming holiday, Greater Bay Area travelers showed characteristics of combining “digitalization” and “localization,” with “niche hidden gems” and “classic landmark sites” appearing side by side. Tourists pursue immersive “local” experiences deep in the streets and alleys—keeping up with local food bloggers to visit spots and joining community Citywalks has become a new trend. Besides traditional popular scenic areas, some less-known cultural heritage sites, eco-parks, and art districts converted from industrial sites attracted many young travelers seeking unique experiences.

In summary, Jia Yunfeng said that the biggest highlight of the Greater Bay Area in building a “world-class tourism destination” lies in the product innovation capability enabled by integrated and coordinated collaboration. With efficient transportation and policy coordination, the Greater Bay Area can quickly assemble a rich and diverse lineup of tourism products. Each city can innovate in a differentiated way based on its own characteristics, and share the customer source market. This cluster-style innovation capability is difficult for a single city to match.

However, currently, external marketing in various places of the Greater Bay Area is still mostly carried out independently by each city. There is a lack of a unified, clear, and compelling “Greater Bay Area story.” International tourists may know Hong Kong and Guangzhou, but their understanding of the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao as a complete tourism destination remains vague. This is the direction that needs to be broken through in order for the integrated Greater Bay Area to move toward becoming a world-class tourism destination.