China Insight: Will China's Cultural Tourism Boom Power Fashion's Next Growth Engine?
As China navigates economic headwinds, a key question emerges: can the integration of culture and tourism serve as a catalyst to boost consumption and ignite new engines of growth, particularly in the fashion and lifestyle sectors?
More from WWD
Why Saudi Arabia and Qatar Are Primed for New Design Events as Contract Business Drives Demand
Daniella Pierson Launches Chasm to Close the Gender Gap Through Entrepreneurship
Not a Lot of Love for 520: Brands Rethink Local Campaigns Amid China Uncertainty
The month of May — bookended by the May Day Golden Week and the Dragon Boat Festival — has become a vital barometer for evaluating China's cultural tourism momentum. The surge in domestic travel and experiential consumption during these holidays is not only reinvigorating local economies but also reshaping the urban fashion landscape in unexpected ways.
According to official data, 314 million domestic trips were made during the May Day holiday alone — a 6.4 percent increase year-over-year — generating 180.27 billion yuan (about $24.97 billion) in tourism-related spending, up 8 percent from the previous year. While per capita spending has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, the rebound in demand signals a clear shift: consumers are prioritizing culturally immersive, emotionally resonant experiences that often intersect with fashion and lifestyle consumption.
Cultural Immersion Meets Fashion Aspirations
Trends such as 'reverse tourism' — in which travelers explore lesser-known towns and county-level cities — are gaining popularity. At the same time, attractions centered on the renewal of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) have emerged as major draws. National trend culture is sweeping the country, with searches for ICH-themed tourism surging and ticket reservations for heritage-focused sites up 132 percent year-over-year.
Immersive, hands-on experiences have become particularly attractive to younger audiences. Data from Ctrip shows that workshops like ceramic art classes in Jingdezhen and traditional kesi (silk tapestry) weaving in Suzhou now attract thousands of daily participants. The blending of cultural performance and tourism has turned cities like Henan's Luoyang, Anhui's Anqing and Xinjiang's Kashgar into popular destinations offering deeper, story-rich experiences.
Events such as the Puppet Carnival in Fujian's Zhangzhou and hand-painted lantern exhibitions in Sichuan's Zigong Lantern Museum further demonstrate how traditional crafts are being revitalized through design-forward, tourist-friendly formats. In this shift, cultural tourism is not just a leisure activity — it's becoming a new platform for fashion expression and consumption.
Macao's Cultural Reawakening and the Rise of Experiential IP
The evolution is not limited to mainland China. In Macao, the May 7 relaunch of 'The House of Dancing Water' — a 2-billion Hong Kong-dollar reinvention of the acclaimed show that had been on hiatus for five years — marks a milestone in cultural tourism's commercial potential. Attended by high-ranking officials and industry leaders, the premiere underscored Macao SAR's strategic pivot toward 'tourism+' as a model for economic diversification.
Lawrence Ho, chairman and chief executive officer of Melco International Development, described the show as a symbol of Macao's aspiration to fuse entertainment, culture and tourism into a global narrative. The production, co-created with Italy's Peparini Studios, integrates technological innovation, multicultural storytelling, and a performance ensemble representing over 30 countries — including retired Olympic athletes — into an immersive, fashion-adjacent spectacle.
The show's impact goes beyond the stage. With advance ticket sales exceeding MOP 180 million (about $115.4 million) and City of Dreams hotel occupancy soaring to 92 percent, 'The House of Dancing Water' is expected to draw over 500,000 attendees annually and significantly boost local employment.
Moreover, the performance has established a new commercial ecosystem. Custom-designed costumes (24 sets in total), re-orchestrated symphonic scores and newly introduced characters such as 'the Sailor' are driving secondary consumption through merchandise and IP-based fashion collaborations — demonstrating the economic value of experiential culture.
Policy Momentum and Urban Collaboration
Backed by favorable national policies — ranging from tax incentives to funding subsidies and streamlined project approvals — cities across China are actively investing in the convergence of cultural, tourism and fashion economies.
Shanghai is leading this charge. The city's 2025 'First in Shanghai' campaign, 55 Shopping Festival, and Shanghai Summer international consumption season are all examples of how municipalities are integrating retail activations with cultural programming. The 55 Shopping Festival alone featured 13 high-impact IP events over May and June, including innovative retailtainment experiences and premium business district promotions.
In Beijing, the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism partnered with the Singapore Tourism Board and Pop Mart to launch the 'Beijing×Singapore Pop Toy Show Dual City Plan.' Running from May 31 to June 20, the collaboration will explore the fusion of pop culture, fashion toys, and urban tourism through landmark activations in both cities — highlighting how trendy IPs can fuel cross-border cultural consumption.
From Soft Power to Hard Value
In today's globalized economy, cultural exchange is more than a diplomatic nicety — it is a strategic growth engine. The true revitalization of a city is not defined by skyscrapers or mega-malls, but by its ability to inspire, engage, and convert cultural energy into commercial and social value.
As cities continue to experiment with immersive formats and fashion-forward cultural tourism, the potential to unlock new consumption models is clear. The chemical reaction between culture, tourism, and fashion is still evolving — but its impact on sustainable growth could be profound.
Editor's Note: China Insight is a monthly column from WWD's sister publication WWD China analyzing key trends in that important market.
Best of WWD
The Definitive Timeline for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sean John Fashion Brand: Lawsuits, Runway Shows and Who Owns It Now
What the Highest-paid CEOs at U.S. Fashion and Retail Companies Make
Confidence Holds Up, But How Much Can Consumers Take?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Mogul featured in Forbes' ‘30 Under 30′ denied bonuses to workers while flaunting $5K Chanel rollerblades: report
A millennial mogul denied bonuses to her employees as her business imploded — even while she spent lavishly on items that included $5,000 Chanel rollerblades, according to a report. Daniella Pierson, who turned 30 last Monday, rose to prominence with a women-focused lifestyle newsletter, The Newsette, that she launched while attending Boston University in 2015. Her entrepreneurial hustle landed her on Forbes' '30 under 30' list of notable media figures in 2020 — helping her rub shoulders with A-lister Selena Gomez, pop singer Jewel and designer Diane Von Furstenberg, according to Forbes. 5 Daniella Pierson, once hailed by Forbes as one of America's richest self-made women, is facing claims she exaggerated her business success and lavishly spent on luxuries while denying employee bonuses. Getty Images The next year, investor Peter Rahal took a 1.25% stake in her budding media company at a valuation of $200 million. But Pierson's self-made image has become bruised by constant exaggerations that call into question her business acumen, according to more than a dozen sources who spoke to Forbes. She has admitted to using fake email accounts to make her one-woman startup look bigger, inflating subscriptions by double-counting readers and boasting that brands like Nike spent 'tens of millions' a year with her when no deal ever topped $1 million, the outlet reported. The report described Pierson as an effective self-promoter — earning a reputation as a rising star in women's entrepreneurship by cultivating celebrity friendships, landing magazine covers and touting her companies as booming successes. Behind the scenes, however, former colleagues and business records cited by Forbes suggest a pattern of overstatement, misrepresentation, and high-profile ventures that have either faltered or collapsed. Multiple ex-employees told Forbes that Pierson denied staff their annual bonuses and, minutes later, posted Instagram Stories flaunting new Chanel rollerblades and a marble kitchen remodel for her apartment in Soho— a jarring look for someone branding herself as a champion of women. 5 Pierson built a high-profile brand through celebrity connections and aggressive self-promotion. She is seen left with singer Jewel. Getty Images Former staff told Forbes that The Newsette's workforce is down to roughly a quarter of its peak, and revenue has dropped from the $40 million she claimed in 2021 to under $4 million in recent years. Pierson had followed the success of Newsette with the launch of Wondermind, a mental health startup she co-founded Gomez and the singer's mother, Mandy Teefey, in 2021. She was forced out of Wondermind last year after clashing with her co-CEO, according to the Forbes report. Pierson's own account of The Newsette's origins includes embellishment, Forbes reported. In a Stanford Graduate School of Business talk, she described creating fake email accounts to give the impression of a bigger staff and posing as an intern to recruit subscribers. Pierson also managed to leverage her personal ties with Furstenberg, her 'fairy godmother,' who introduced her to several connections at Amazon, including company founder Jeff Bezos. 'I have known Daniella for years. Her drive is impressive and I am fond of her. My relationship with her is more personal than business,' von Furstenberg told The Post. Pierson was able to parlay her newfound ties to Amazon into a marketing campaign in which the e-commerce giant featured female founders on its homepage to mark International Women's Day. 5 A screenshot of The Newsette's homepage, the women-focused lifestyle newsletter Pierson launched in 2015 that Forbes says inflated subscriber counts and brand deal values. Amazon also became one of the first and largest clients of Newland, Pierson's marketing agency, a partnership which earned The Newsette Media Group tens of millions in sales. By 2021, company sales totaled $34 million, according to internal documents — less than Pierson's repeated public claims but still the most it had ever made. That year, she secured investment from Rahal, founder of RXBar, who took a stake in her company without reportedly looking at its finances. The $200 million valuation translated into an estimated personal stake for Pierson worth nearly $170 million. When combined with her Wondermind shares and other assets, Forbes listed her as worth $220 million in 2021. Shortly after the deal, the company's main revenue source — Newland's marketing work for Amazon and Mattel — began to crumble. Both clients ended their relationships, and by the end of 2023, Newland had been shut down, though Pierson continued to present it as active, according to Forbes. Former staff told the publication that she also misrepresented the scale of brand deals, telling clients companies like Nike and Ulta Beauty were spending tens of millions of dollars annually when no single contract topped $1 million. Internal records from 2022 cited by Forbes show she overstated subscriber numbers as well. Last year, she claimed 1.3 million subscribers across three newsletters, without clarifying that many were duplicates. Media valuation expert Kevin Kamen reviewed The Newsette's latest figures and social reach for Forbes and estimated it is now worth 'no more than $12.2 million.' 5 Pierson, photographed during her rise as a media entrepreneur, allegedly overstated The Newsette's size and client spending to bolster her image. Getty Images At Wondermind, Pierson's co-leadership lasted about a year before she was pushed out, according to former staff. Two-thirds of the 15-person team were later laid off, Forbes reported. Ex-employees from both companies describe her management style as volatile, with frequent outbursts, micromanaging and public criticism of staff work, according to the Forbes report. Several recalled her denying annual bonuses shortly before posting on Instagram about luxury purchases. The Post has sought comment from Pierson, Gomez and Teefey. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment. In 2023, Pierson nearly became part of an even bigger headline — the potential sale of Forbes Media. Luminar Technologies CEO Austin Russell led a bid to acquire the outlet, and Pierson was slated to join the board, according to Forbes. Investor calls during fundraising drew mixed reactions, with some participants questioning her involvement. 5 Pierson, 30, is reported to have denied bonuses before showcasing a $5,000 pair of Chanel rollerblades and a marble kitchen on Instagram. Getty Images She took charge of public relations, issuing a press release that announced an 'oversubscribed' deal and included a composite group photo positioning her at the center. The acquisition collapsed two months later, but Pierson continued to list herself online as a Forbes board member until her agency removed the claim this month, according to the report. As Forbes prepared to publish its investigation over the weekend, Pierson posted on Instagram accusing unnamed parties of a 'smear campaign' against her and her companies, vowing to continue investing 'millions of my own dollars into helping women.' Rahal now interacts with her ventures only sparingly. Earlier this year, he responded to one of her LinkedIn announcements with a single clown emoji.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Lisa Rinna Talks Hair Confidence, Experimenting With Styles in Campaign With Bumble and bumble
In another universe, Lisa Rinna would gladly grow her hair long and dye it black à la Demi Moore. In reality, she'd rather not commit; that's what wigs are for anyway. Instead, the 62-year-old actress prefers to keep her trademark spiky, above-the-shoulders cut with lots of layers. 'I've had the same haircut for so many years, I found what works for me,' she told WWD over a phone call. 'It's a lot more fun to experiment.' More from WWD Serena Kerrigan Talks With Neutrogena About New Steamy Romance Series Introducing Almave Humo, Lewis Hamilton's New Non-alcoholic Mezcal Alternative Nike's Wildly Colorful Cactus Plant Flea Market Collaboration Is Coming Soon Short, Anderson .Paak bowl cuts, bombshell Marilyn Monroe-inspired blond, micro bangs, bobs and most recently, Moore's long hair — the 62-year-old actress has, indeed, tested almost every style imaginable, changing in and out of wigs like outfits. 'As an actor, I love to play characters, but when you get to be of a certain age, the acting jobs don't come in as frequently as you might like them to. So, it's been fun for me to express myself and to play these characters,' she explained. As statement-making as these personas are, her natural style is an integral part of her personality. 'My hair is pretty iconic,' Rinna said, referencing the cut and her muddy brown and blond coloring. Yet, she's never partnered with a hair care brand — until now. Announced in July, the former 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star is teaming up with the prestige brand Bumble and bumble for her inaugural partnership. 'I believe in working with people that you connect with, and that you have some sort of affinity with. I love the Bumble and bumble products; I have for many years. And so, it felt right to me when they came to me and said, 'We'd love to partner with you,'' Rinna said. Some of her favorite Bumble and bumble products include the Sumo Liquid Wax and Finishing Spray, priced at $37, and the hero product at the center of this campaign, the Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat Protectant Leave-In Conditioner Primer, priced at $34. The spray, specifically, has been like a new 'toy' for Rinna to mess around with. She's swapped her classic pomade for the liquid wax, using it to mold sections of her hair, while the primer oil has helped restore moisture and shine to her head after she spontaneously dyed her hair platinum last year. 'At this point, you never think you're going to find new hair products that excite you, especially when you've had the same hairdo for 25 years or more. So, it was really a pleasant surprise, and now I can't live without it,' she said of the hair wax. 'When I went platinum, it trashed my hair, and so I had to use a lot of treatment to get my hair back, and one of them was the primer oil. It's been really great.' The primer oil is powered by Bumble and bumble's Featherlight 6-Oil Blend, which works to add shine, detangle knots and protect against UV rays and heat. According to Bumble and bumble, Rinna's campaign responds to rising consumer demand for multifunctional, simplified hair care products and routines that aren't overpowering or damaging in the long term. Bumble and bumble credits itself as a leader of this movement since its inception in 1977 in New York City. More than that, the brand and Rinna plan to use their union to inspire new beauty standards that encourage creativity and confidence as the reality star models. 'All I can ever do is show by example of what I do,' Rinna said. 'And so I think that if that helps anyone or teaches anybody something or gives somebody an idea to try something different, I'm all for it. I do what I do. So, if it affects somebody positively, I think that's a nice goal.' Young Lisa Rinna's Style Evolution: From '80s Fanny Packs to High-Fashion Red Carpet Glamour Today [PHOTOS] View Gallery Launch Gallery: Young Lisa Rinna's Style Evolution: From '80s Fanny Packs to High-Fashion Red Carpet Glamour Today [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Madonna and Sean Penn's 1985 Malibu Wedding Brought Together the Best and Boldest of '80s Fashion Brigitte Macron's Makeup: How the French First Lady Channels '60s Glamour Into Her Signature Look What to Wear When It's Too Hot: Style Tips for Keeping Cool on Sweltering Days
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Jenna Ortega Debuts $100,000 Aupen Himalayan Bag in Partnership With LVMH Ahead of ‘Seth Meyers' Appearance
Jenna Ortega debuted the new $100,000 Aupen Repurpose Pochette in Himalayan crocodile skin bag ahead of her appearance on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers' on Monday in New York City as part of her 'Wednesday' promotional tour. The one-of-a-kind piece is a new creation inspired by Aupen's archived Purpose silhouette, made famous by such celebrities as Hailey Bieber, Beyoncé and Selena Gomez. The Purpose was previously part of Aupen's main collection. More from WWD Netflix's 'Wednesday' Season Two Press Tour: All the Best Hair and Makeup Moments Julia Garner Continues Her Gucci Streak in Little Black Dress on 'Stephen Colbert,' Talks New Film 'Weapons' Jenna Ortega's Latest Red Sole Moment Features Parisian-inspired Ballet Pumps During 'Wednesday' Promotion Unlike previous iterations, this new silhouette debuts as a Pochette, crafted under Aupen in collaboration with LVMH Métiers d'Art. Design elements include a distortion of crocodile scales and selective upcycling of certain shades and crocodile pieces, founder Nicholas Tan's way of breaking the mold both literally and metaphorically, disrupting perfection to allow space for individuality and transformation. Founded in 2022, Aupen partnered with LVMH Métiers d'Art in July 2024. The collaboration provides Aupen with advisory and access to best-in-class French production facilities, including farms, tanneries and metal work companies, WWD's Lisa Lockwood reported. The debut of the $100,000 Aupen Himalayan bag marks Ortega's second time carrying a piece by the luxury handbag brand, following her earlier appearance with the Nirvana bag. Along with her standout accessory, Ortega wore a deconstructed dress courtesy of Elena Velez. The Landwalker dress featured a satin fabric with exposed corsetry detailing on the bodice, with a fitted silhouette. The look also included a thigh-high slit. Ortega collaborates with stylist Enrique Melendez. Ortega previously wore a dress by the designer for a 'Wednesday' second season photo call in Paris, continuing her Goth-inspired style streak while promoting the Netflix series. 'Wednesday' Season Two London Premiere: Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and More Celebrity Style, Photos View Gallery Launch Gallery: 'Wednesday' Season Two London Premiere: Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and More Celebrity Style, Photos Best of WWD Amanda Anisimova's On-court Tennis Style Through the Years: From Teen Phenom to Wimbledon Finalist A Look Back at Fourth of July Celebrations at the White House Princess Diana's Birthday Looks Through the Years: Her Sleek Black Jacques Azagury Dress, Vibrant Colors and More Solve the daily Crossword
