On September 11, the 2026 Guangdong International Tourism Expo grandly opened in Area A of the Canton Fair Complex, Guangzhou. As a large-scale and highly influential cultural and tourism event in South China, this year's expo has attracted cultural and tourism institutions from nearly 50 countries and regions, over 100 premium tourism destinations, and more than 1,200 industry enterprises. During the event, nearly 50 concurrent thematic activities were held, comprehensively showcasing the latest achievements, emerging trends, and new vitality of Guangdong's cultural and tourism industry. Running until September 13, the expo offers the public a one-stop opportunity to explore the world's cultural and tourism offerings.
This year's expo features remarkable highlights in internationalization. The specially designated "Smart Greater Bay Area Inbound Tourism Zone" brings together 12 professional institutions to showcase the development achievements of inbound tourism. The zone not only features authoritative institutions providing in-depth briefings on the transit visa-free policy and promoting entry facilitation services at airports and cruise homeports, but also highlights diverse payment facilitation measures for inbound tourists and promotes self-service tax refund services with instant refunds. In addition, the exhibition of AI simultaneous interpretation devices and smart service terminal solutions for inbound tourism, along with the launch of one-stop travel services and "One Trip, Multiple Destinations" tourism products, demonstrates the Greater Bay Area's robust capacity to host international visitors. The international lineup is equally impressive. Laos seizes the opportunity of the "China-Laos Year of Friendship" to promote its World Heritage resources; Chad makes its debut in China to showcase its unique natural landscapes; Georgia promotes the cultural and tourism resources of the ancient Silk Road; and multiple countries, including the Czech Republic, Iceland, and Croatia, make a strong collective appearance. Catering to diversified needs, the expo has also set up a dedicated B2B zone, where the Luxury Customized Travel Zone gathers destinations such as South Korea, Cambodia, and Mexico.
On the opening day, the 2026 Guangdong Golden Autumn Cultural and Tourism Consumption Season was launched in tandem, distributing a total of 30 million yuan in consumption subsidies to domestic and overseas tourists as well as local residents. The event has created a synergistic effect of "government subsidies coupled with corporate concessions." Renowned travel agencies, including Guangdong China Travel Service, Guangzhou Travel Service, and Ctrip Guangzhou, have offered nearly 10,000 high-quality products and launched various promotional discounts. Meanwhile, the expo actively responds to the "Guangdong Goods Go Global" initiative. The Greater Bay Area Time-Honored Brands Expo brings together over 500 time-honored brands and intangible cultural heritage brands, such as Guangzhou Restaurant, Taotaoju, and Lee Kum Kee, focusing on the sale of premium Guangdong products and new China-Chic items. The International Goods Consumption Zone gathers specialty consumer goods from along the Belt and Road, injecting new vitality into time-honored brands and helping Guangdong brands expand into overseas markets.
This year's expo has newly added an International Medical Tourism Zone. The Guangzhou International Medical Tourism Service Center, together with six international medical pilot hospitals, presents an integrated, full-chain service system for cross-border international medical tourism. The zone promotes services such as multilingual medical accompaniment, remote consultations, visa assistance, and direct billing with commercial insurance, and launches medical and wellness tourism routes featuring high-end health check-ups and Cantonese intangible cultural heritage. Luo Qian, Deputy General Manager of the Guangzhou International Medical Tourism Service Center, said, "Located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou enjoys distinct advantages in developing international medical tourism thanks to its convenient transportation and favorable entry policies. The guidelines on visa extensions for medical visitors issued by the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission earlier this year also provide excellent guidance for inbound travelers seeking medical treatment."
Highly popular among travel enthusiasts, the expo allows visitors to not only stock up on discounted tour packages but also lock in deals for the following year. On the opening day, many savvy senior tourists visited the expo in groups. After comparing prices on-site, Mr. Zhang and his wife were drawn to several affordable routes and ultimately booked the maiden voyage of the "Adora Huacheng" cruise on the Nansha homeport route, taking advantage of the consumption voucher discount. It is reported that the "Golden Autumn Cultural and Tourism Consumption Vouchers" launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province are available in five tiers: 500 yuan off for every 2,500 yuan spent, 300 yuan off for every 1,500 yuan spent, 200 yuan off for every 1,000 yuan spent, 100 yuan off for every 500 yuan spent, and 40 yuan off for every 200 yuan spent. The highly anticipated Nansha homeport cruise routes have been specially included in the program, with eligible products qualifying for a maximum discount of 500 yuan, allowing citizens to tangibly benefit from the policy dividends.