If you want to take the pulse of China’s consumers and e-commerce titans, look no further than the 618 shopping festival. Originally launched by JD.com as a birthday sale, 618 has grown into a barometer for the industry and a battlefield for China’s biggest retail platforms.

Thailand’s tourism outlook in such doldrums that even the so-called The White Lotus effect — a temporary boost in Western visitors inspired by the latest Koh Samui—set season of HBO’s hit show — hasn’t been enough to offset a slump in arrivals from neighboring countries.

Buoyed by a 5.4% GDP increase and strong policy support, China’s outdoor advertising sector entered a new phase of strategic growth in Q1 2025, with ad spend reaching ¥57.35 billion. Brand participation hit record highs, driven by festive campaigns and a sharp focus on Tier 1 cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen. While video ad growth slowed, LCD and digital formats showed resilience. Sectors such as services, cosmetics, and digital platforms led investment, as advertisers adap

China expects 687 million passenger trips during the Dragon Boat holiday. This is a 7.7% increase from 2024. Self-driving trips will dominate, with over 98% of highway traffic from small vehicles. Most trips will be short-distance. A 6-million-kilometre transport network supports fast travel. Diverse travel scenes drive new consumption trends.

As China’s outbound travel surges past pre-pandemic levels in 2025, a new generation of alcohol consumers is reshaping global duty-free. No longer defined by tradition or hierarchy, today’s Chinese drinkers are younger, more spontaneous, and digitally wired; eager to explore, share, and curate their experiences.

An unusual convergence of the Dragon Boat Festival and Children’s Day in China over the weekend led to a surge in domestic tourism bookings to campsites, amusement parks and other attractions, according to travel platforms.

A Hollywood film topped ticket presales for China’s Dragon Boat Festival, but latest data points to a subdued box office for the holiday season as the industry grapples with a string of underwhelming performances.

The rise of Pop Mart, and in particular its breakout character Labubu, signals a decisive pivot in consumer behaviour. What was once considered niche designer toy culture has evolved into a mass-market emotional movement. In China, and increasingly across global markets, consumers are no longer buying purely for function. They’re buying for meaning, identity, and emotional resonance.

Chinese tourists are now flooding through Singapore’s Changi Airport in ever-greater numbers. The Southeast Asian nation now offers a whole host of activities that fit the changing tastes of Chinese travellers, as well as having a number of cultural and language alignments that help visitors easily acclimatize.