Xinjiang is promoting sports-tourism integration by hosting events like the Taklimakan Rally and the Xinjiang Super League, attracting visitors to travel with the races. The events feature tourism routes and benefit packages, boosting spending on dining and lodging and driving county-level economic growth.
Seven ministries including MOFCOM issued implementation opinions on expanding goods consumption, proposing measures such as developing RV camping, coffee tourism experiences, promoting cultural products, optimizing duty-free store layouts, and deepening rural tourism.
AAA data shows cruise-linked destinations like Seattle, Anchorage, and Vancouver top the Labor Day weekend list, along with national park gateways Denver and Las Vegas. Bank of America found 77% of Americans planned summer travel, up from 74% last year. While high-income households still lead spending, the K-shaped gap has narrowed since May as lower- and middle-income households increase travel spend. Cruise momentum is strong with a record 37.2 million global passengers in 2025, though Alaska volumes stayed flat.
The State Council approved the 15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption, targeting retail sales of about 60 trillion yuan by 2030, focusing on expanding service consumption including culture, tourism, health, and sports, and optimizing inbound consumption environment by expanding visa-free countries and adding international flights.
Alibaba reported quarterly results for the period ended Dec 31, 2025: revenue of RMB 284.843 billion, up 2% YoY (9% on a like-for-like basis); adjusted EBITA down 57% to RMB 23.397 billion, mainly due to increased investments in instant retail, user experience, and technology. Cloud Intelligence Group revenue was RMB 43.284 billion, up 36% YoY, with AI-related product revenue growing triple digits for the tenth consecutive quarter. Qwen app MAU exceeded 300 million.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, industrial value-added grew 6.3% year-on-year, retail sales rose 2.8%, fixed-asset investment increased 1.8%, and goods trade grew 18.3% in Jan-Feb, indicating a good start for the economy.
The 2025 Tmall Double 11 shopping festival concluded, achieving the best full-cycle growth in four years (after excluding refunds). Nearly 600 brands exceeded 100 million yuan in GMV, and 34,091 brands doubled their GMV compared to last year. Fliggy's GMV grew over 30% YoY, and 88VIP members exceeded 53 million.