Tourist attractions and businesses in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are preparing to welcome a surge of visitors during the 2026 New Year’s Day holiday, with some anticipating trade growth of 20 percent compared to non-holiday periods.

Cities across the region have launched an array of cultural and tourism activities to cater to the diverse demands of visitors, including those from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Foshan, a historic city renowned for its deep roots in Cantonese culture, has rolled out over 200 cultural, tourism, and sports events, blending traditional customs with modern elements. Highlights include free shuangpinai — double-skin milk pudding —for marathon runners, lion dance performances paired with Hong Kong music concerts, and lucky draws.

In Zhuhai, alongside music festivals, food carnivals and intangible cultural heritage performances, the municipal government, enterprises and commercial platforms have also provided direct subsidies to both residents and visitors. These include special discounts on automobiles, home appliances, catering and cultural tourism activities.

Shenzhen’s theme parks, such as Happy Valley, Window of the World and Splendid China folk village, will host a variety of innovative activities, integrating light shows, cultural experiences and high-tech performances.

Cross-border travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland is expected to surge during the holiday. Shenzhen’s port authorities forecast that daily average passenger trips at Luohu Port, Futian Port and Shenzhen Bay Port could hit 240,000, 230,000 and 180,000 respectively.

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Local businesses are upbeat over the upcoming holiday period and are making full preparations to meet the expected surge in visitors.

“More Hong Kong people are coming to Shenzhen for shopping and dining during holidays, and the number of mainland visitors has also been increasing,” said Ye Xiaoxiao, who runs a shop for jubensha — a popular immersive live-action role-playing game — in Shenzhen’s Futian district.

“We are very optimistic about business during this New Year’s Day holiday and expect our sales to increase by 20 percent compared with non-holiday periods.”

A man surnamed Li, who runs a Cantonese-style restaurant in Futian, also expressed confidence in trade. “With Shenzhen’s rich holiday activities and convenient transportation in the Greater Bay Area, we believe we will see a steady flow of customers during the holiday,” he said.

“To ensure quality services, we have stocked up sufficient ingredients and conducted special training for our service team in advance,” Li added.

Hong Kong resident Jonathan Chan said he plans to drive to Foshan with his family for a three-day trip during the upcoming holiday. “I’ve heard Foshan has a lot of traditional cultural activities during the New Year holiday. We want to experience the festive atmosphere and taste local snacks,” he said.

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“The Greater Bay Area’s convenient transportation has made short-distance trips during holidays a popular choice for Hong Kong families. It’s easy and convenient to travel between cities, so we can fully enjoy the holiday fun,” he added.