How Trip.com’s Shenzhen Tech Carnival Aims to Attract International Visitors

Trip.com Group is trying to turn growing interest in travel to Shenzhen into a reason to visit the city itself. Its planned Splendid China Tech Carnival would combine Shenzhen’s technology identity with Chinese cultural experiences across the winter holidays. The event has been announced, but its programme and visitor turnout are not yet results. 317

Why Shenzhen, and why now?

China recorded 22.914 million inbound foreign visitor trips in the first half of 2026, up 20.4% year over year. Trip.com reported that its inbound-travel bookings grew about 90% in the first quarter; company data also put international flight bookings to Shenzhen up more than 70% in that quarter. In the second quarter, Trip.com said inbound-travel revenue grew at a high-double-digit year-over-year rate. These are different measures of demand, not estimates of how many people will attend the carnival. 152

What the carnival is planned to offer

The roughly two-month event is scheduled for Splendid China Folk Culture Villages from late December 2026 through the 2027 Lantern Festival, spanning Christmas, New Year and Spring Festival. Plans call for drone performances, robot shows and interaction, and AI-powered cultural experiences alongside intangible heritage, folk customs and New Year traditions. Organizers say the content will change across the holiday period. 13

That mix gives Trip.com a way to present technology as something visitors can experience, rather than simply an attribute of Shenzhen. It also builds on an established cultural attraction: Splendid China already hosts festival activities centered on Chinese folk culture. 39

How visitors and creators fit into the plan

Organizers are seeking ideas for drone displays, robotics and cultural experiences, including activities designed for international visitors. The stated deadline is 31 October 2026, and selected proposals may be used at the carnival. The submission call can broaden the range of experiences on offer, though the final lineup has not been established in the available reporting. 181

The carnival also fits a broader effort to make a visit to China more than a flight and hotel booking. Trip.com’s Taste of China dining show, launched in August 2025, offers a 90-minute meal featuring dishes from seven regions, with QR codes connecting courses to destination information. It is an example of turning a cultural experience into an invitation to explore further—not evidence that diners will attend the Shenzhen event. 18

Specific tie-ins with Shenzhen technology attractions have not been established in the supplied reporting. Nor do the available source excerpts verify the route, schedule or availability of a Shenzhen Express layover tour. The clearest supported conclusion is narrower: Trip.com is planning a holiday-season attraction aimed at international travelers while inbound demand is growing; whether that plan converts flight bookings into carnival visits remains to be seen. 3518