SHENZHEN recorded a 17.6% year-on-year increase in tourism revenue during the just-ended eight-day National Day holiday, bringing in 8.94 billion yuan (US$1.25 billion), according to the city’s culture and tourism authorities. The city received more than 9.20 million visitors during the holiday, up 12.4% from last year’s holiday break. International arrivals surged to about 91,000, an increase of 145.2% year on year. From Oct. 1 to 6, the number of international tourists grew 50% year on year, and visa-free arrivals jumped 205%. Top source markets included South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and Russia, with Russian arrivals up 68%. Major travel platforms underlined Shenzhen’s popularity. Qunar ranked the city among China’s top 20 holiday destinations and fifth among cities chosen by international travelers. Ctrip.com named Shenzhen among the top domestic destinations, and Meituan ranked Shenzhen fourth among domestic air-ticket booking cities. Local attractions, commercial hubs, and cultural venues all posted strong performance. Popular destinations in the city included the newly opened Bay Area Store of Shenzhen Book City and Qianhai Snow World, Window of the World, Happy Valley, Shenzhen Safari Park, the Bay Glory Ferris wheel, and Gankeng Ancient Town. (Claudia Wei) | 