Chongqing's Consumer Market Surges 6.9% Year-on-Year as Qingming Festival Meets Spring Break

As a spring breeze sweeps through Chongqing, the mountain city is filled with warmth and a renewed vitality in its consumer market.

In 2026, the meeting of the Qingming Festival and the spring break created a rare extended holiday for both residents and visitors in Chongqing. Seizing the opportunity of the "Spring Consumption Season", the city integrated multiple sectors, including commerce, culture, tourism, sports, exhibitions, and agriculture, to roll out diverse consumption scenarios, boosting early activity and sustained growth in the consumer market.

Data from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce shows that total consumption in the city grew by 6.9% year-on-year during the Qingming holiday, with lively spring-themed activities across the "Two Rivers and Four Banks".

Revitalizing Business Circles through Financial Support Measures

Spring Consumption in Full Swing

During the Qingming holiday, major business circles, commercial complexes, and shopping centers in Chongqing, as the key hubs for commodity consumption, leveraged themed marketing, scenario renewal, and financial support measures to offer a rich array of spring consumption experiences for residents and visitors. The commodity consumption market showed a flourishing trend with multiple highlights.

On April 5, Yuzhong District launched a "Spring Renewal" promotional campaign across three major business circles - Jiefangbei, Daping, and Hualongqiao - featuring around 20 themed events. At Guotai Plaza in Jiefangbei, a mini craft beer and coffee festival drew crowds of young consumers. The aroma of coffee mingled with the fresh spring air, inviting visitors to sample, snap photos, and share their experiences. "We brought in a selection of local boutique coffee and craft brands to create a spring-themed social space with a relaxed, lively atmosphere. The results exceeded expectations, with average daily foot traffic during the holiday rising by nearly 50% compared with regular weekends," said the head of the promotion department of Guotai Plaza. Not far away, Chongqing Xintiandi was transformed into a "Green Living Festival", featuring markets, handicrafts, and environmental exhibitions, and offering leisurely parent-child experiences for families.

▲ April 5, 2026, Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street, where many national and international tourists came for shopping, consumption, and sightseeing. Photo by Reporter Yin Shiyu

Scene creation has become key to attracting foot traffic. At Guanghuan Garden City, a vast canopy of wind chimes fills the air with gentle, melodic sounds, creating a romantic and picturesque atmosphere. meanwhile, Beicheng Paradise Walk has unveiled a "Monet Flower Sea" featuring artistic floral installations, becoming a popular photo spot among young visitors. "Visually appealing spaces are a major draw," said Ms. Li, a post-95s resident taking photos. "When I go shopping with friends, we can also take a set of spring-themed photos to post on WeChat Moments. The overall consumption experience is greatly enhanced, and we're more willing to stay longer and spend more in such beautiful environments."

The integration of online and offline consumption models has further boosted retail consumption. The Bank of Communications launched the "Chongqing Joy Consumption" campaign across major core business circles in the city, covering categories such as dining and retail, with discount promotions stimulating consumer spending. Online platforms such as Meituan and Dianping opened special spring event sections, using livestream sales, group flash deals, and mini-program coupons to lock in demand in advance and efficiently convert online traffic into offline store visits. "Our restaurant pre-sold hundreds of spring-themed set meals through livestreaming, with a redemption rate of over 80% during the holiday. This model of 'buying online, using offline' has effectively smoothed customer flow and increased revenue," a restaurant owner in Shapingba District told reporters.

"I originally just planned to come to the business circle to take photos, but the mall's spring clothing promotions are very attractive, and I could also combine them with bank discounts. So I ended up buying new clothes for both my family and myself. With shopping, dining, and entertainment all in one place, it was a great experience," said Ms. Wang, who was visiting the Jiefangbei business circle in Yuzhong District. She added that springtime business circles not only offer beautiful scenery but also great deals, making consumption more enjoyable.

Data shows that during the Qingming Festival, the city's retail sales of goods increased by 5.6% year-on-year, while total sales and average daily foot traffic in 20 key business circles in the central urban area both rose by 7.9% year-on-year, highlighting the vitality and resilience of business circle consumption.

Fresh Flavors and Trendy Dining Fuel Night Tourism Boom

"Spring Nightscape" Comes Alive with Service Consumption

During the Qingming Festival, tasting seasonal delicacies and enjoying spring outings are traditional customs. Chongqing has embraced the "Spring Flavor Discovery, Trendy Dining in Yuzhou" campaign, tapping into the combined appeal of "dining" and "tourism" to drive service consumption and create a vibrant market spanning day and night, as well as urban and rural areas.

"Dining" remains at the heart of holiday consumption. In Fuling Meixin Wine Town, the scenic area launched a variety of culinary experiences, including the Qingming long-table banquet, qingtuan tasting, wild vegetable hotpot, and specialty snack markets. These offerings bring together flavors from different regions to satisfy visitors' appetites. Meanwhile, the innovative cableway transportation seamlessly connects the dining experience with spring sightseeing along the Yangtze River. Over the three-day holiday, the scenic area received a total of 446,800 visits.

In Banan District, the "360 Bowls of Chongqing Flavors · Banan 15 Bowls" intangible cultural heritage food experience event is drawing crowds. Visitors can enjoy exclusive discounts at participating restaurants by presenting their attraction tickets, linking tourism and dining to drive consumption. Chongqing Science City, in collaboration with platforms such as Fliggy, Didi, and Freshippo, as well as hundreds of local merchants, launched a large-scale consumer subsidy campaign offering "RMB 200 off for every RMB 500 spent" on dining and accommodation, significantly boosting regional consumption.

The extended spring break has directly fueled the popularity of "micro-vacations", with the accommodation market showing trends of diversification and quality upgrading. In addition to the strong demand for standardized, cost-effective budget chain hotels, distinctive homestays and rural lodgings near scenic spots have been in extremely high demand. The "Two-person hiking ticket + hotel accommodation" package launched by Jinfo Mountain in Nanchuan District has been particularly popular. At the same time, emerging accommodation formats such as tent camping and RV campsites have gained popularity among young tourists and families, becoming new consumption options that connect nature and daily life. During the Qingming Festival, the city's accommodation service sales increased by 8.1% year-on-year.

As night falls, Chongqing's distinctive "Two Rivers and Four Banks" nightscape, infused with the vibrant spirit of spring, has sparked a fresh wave of nighttime consumption. River cruise services have introduced spring-themed voyages, offering tourists the chance to take in dazzling riverside illuminations while engaging in a variety of onboard seasonal activities. Traditional cultural districts such as Hongyadong Folk Customs Area, Shancheng Alley, and Shibati have continued to attract large crowds by offering themed night events, light shows, and immersive interactive experiences. "Visiting scenic spots during the day and enjoying night views and night markets in the evening has become a standard itinerary for many tourists. During the Qingming holiday, both nighttime foot traffic and sales revenue at our restaurant increased significantly compared to before," said the manager of a riverside hotpot restaurant in Hongyadong.

 

▲ April 5, 2026, Nanbin Road, Nan'an District, where many national and international tourists gathered along the riverside to watch a drone show. Photo by Reporter Yin Shiyu

Data shows that during the Qingming holiday, the city's service sales increased by 8.4% year-on-year, among which catering revenue grew by 8.2% and nighttime consumption rose by 7.1%. All sectors of service consumption exhibited a strong growth momentum.

Integration of Culture, Tourism, and Sports Drives Visitor Growth in Chongqing

The "Spring Economy" Continues to Gain Momentum

This year's Qingming holiday consumption has demonstrated particularly strong "spring economy" characteristics. The extended holiday combining the spring break and Qingming Festival fully released the rigid demand for family outings and spring excursions. Meanwhile, a wide range of carefully curated consumption-promoting activities integrating culture, tourism, and sports across districts and counties, together with linkage to major events such as the finals of the "Yu Super" (Chongqing Football Super League), successfully attracted a large number of out-of-town visitors. This achieved deep integration of culture, tourism, commerce, and sports, activating new drivers of consumption.

Family-oriented parent-child travel has become the dominant force. Fuling Meixin Wine Town launched family packages integrating cable cars, amusement parks, and homestays, creating a one-stop leisure experience. The Dazu Rock Carvings Baoding Scenic Area implemented a free admission policy for visitors under 18, and organized Song-style markets, rubbing experiences, and other themed activities based on its cultural heritage, bringing new vitality to historical relics in spring. "The free admission policy is very attractive. Bringing children here allows them not only to see a World Cultural Heritage site but also to experience the lively atmosphere of ancient markets. It's very educational, and we're also willing to spend more in the scenic area," said Mr. Zhang, a tourist from Chengdu, Sichuan. Theme activities such as "Strolling the Ancient Town, Tasting Delicacies, and Watching Traditional Opera" in Ciqikou Ancient Town in Shapingba District, the "Fun+" lifestyle season featuring camping and hiking markets jointly created by Jiulongpo District's Mining Park and Cherry Blossom Park, and the combined packages in Beibei District integrating "spring hiking + free scenic spot admission + business circle discounts" based on Jinyun Mountain and Jindao Canyon have all precisely catered to the travel needs of family visitors.

▲ April 5, 2026, Ciqikou Ancient Town in Shapingba District was bustling with crowds, as residents and tourists strolled through the ancient town, tasted local delicacies, and watched traditional performances, immersing themselves in the culture of the ancient town and Chongqing culture. Photo by Correspondent Zhao Jiechang

It is particularly worth noting that the finals of the "Yu Super" football league held during the holiday became a powerful "ignition point" for holiday consumption. This major local sporting event not only attracted tens of thousands of fans to Chongqing, but also drove a wide range of related consumption, including accommodation, catering, transportation, and cultural and creative products. "During the days of the finals, hotels near the stadium were basically fully booked, and many restaurants extended their business hours. Fans showed extremely strong consumption enthusiasm," said an observer from the Chongqing Sports Industry Association. "This demonstrates that high-level sporting events themselves are top-tier IPs that can effectively gather crowds and stimulate comprehensive consumption, serving as an excellent model for the integration of culture, tourism, commerce, and sports."

The integration of spring-themed scenarios with in-depth cultural tourism experiences continues to release strong consumption vitality. According to statistics, during the Qingming holiday, the city received a total of 7.8443 million national tourist visits, a year-on-year increase of 5.1%, and achieved national tourism revenue of RMB 7.22 billion, marking a significant year-on-year increase of 11.7%. The average spending per visitor reached RMB 926.79, up 6.2% year-on-year.

A relevant official from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce stated that the consumption boom driven by the overlap of the Qingming Festival and spring break not only demonstrated the strong vitality and potential of Chongqing's consumer market, but also verified the effectiveness of integrated development across commerce, culture, tourism, sports, exhibitions, and agriculture. Going forward, Chongqing will continue to focus on seasonal characteristics and consumer demand, create more personalized and diversified consumption scenarios, and promote the upgrading and quality improvement of the consumer market, ensuring that the momentum of the spring economy continues.

Source: Chongqing Daily