(Yicai) May 6 -- Shanghai has attracted more than 100,000 foreign tourists over the five-day Labor Day holiday.

The number of overseas tourists in Shanghai surged 62 percent from April 30 to May 4 compared with a year earlier, according to data from Fudan University's Big Data Laboratory of Consumer Market.

Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai saw 11,000 flights from May 1 to yesterday, up 29 percent from a year ago, official figures showed. Daily passengers surged 40 percent to an average of 349,000, with take-offs, landings, passenger throughput, and cargo and mail throughput exceeding 2019's level.

Shanghai's consumption expanded 8.3 percent to CNY53 billion (USD7.3 billion) between April 30 and May 4 from a year ago, with offline consumption reaching CNY23.5 billion, according to data released by the city's commerce bureau. The total number of tourists was 16.2 million.

The first-store economy significantly boosted consumption, with over 200 first-store and flagship shops entering Shanghai on the eve of the Labor Day holiday and nearly 300 domestic and foreign brands holding debut shows. Sony Group's Aniplex on Nanjing Road, Animate Book Store with Cafe, and GuGu Home's newly opened anime store in Bailian ZX Creative Center attracted many foreigners.

Visitors in shopping malls exceeded 80,000 on May 1, with sales reaching nearly CNY6 million (USD830,000). The China International Import Expo Bazaar City Arena on Nanjing Road had 25 national theme pavilions and debuted more than 5,000 products, the same as those shown during this year's CIIE.

The number of visitors in stores in 35 business districts monitored by the Big Data Laboratory of Consumer Market rose 5.4 percent to 25.69 million over the Labor Day holiday.

Overseas tourists entering and exiting China totaled 2.95 million in the first two months of this year, jumping 2.3 times from the prior two months, according to the National Immigration Administration. The figure recovered to 42 percent from the level before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Editor: Martin Kadiev