How Shanghai leverages arts and events to fuel tourism and power economic growth

The financial and commercial hub of mainland China attracted 5.5 million overseas tourists between January and August, up 37 per cent year on year, offering a much-needed boost to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP), which outpaced national growth for the first time in nearly a decade.

“The ultimate goal for Shanghai is to take advantage of inbound tourism to create a sustainable business formula,” said Zhang, a professor who also advises the central and local governments. “Eventually, Shanghai’s role as a major international tourist destination needs to be strengthened.”

Zhang made the remarks after Shanghai, once the economic locomotive of the mainland, reported a 5.5 per cent increase in economic output during the first three quarters of 2025, compared with the national growth of 5.2 per cent. It was the first time since 2016 that the city’s economic performance had beaten the national average. Despite being the mainland’s most developed metropolis, Shanghai had refrained from heavy investment in infrastructure projects over the past decade, with its economic expansion lagging behind other provincial-level regions.