Exhibition on ancient Egyptian civilization drives hotel bookings in Shanghai, showing vibrancy of China’s traveling market

The exhibition named On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, which is being held in Shanghai, has captivated the audience and boosted hotel bookings by 20 percent year-on-year, data from a China-based travel platform Trip.com showed. 

This grand exhibition witnessed Chinese people's enthusiasm for summer tourism consumption and the vibrancy of the tourist market, also boosted cultural exchange between China and Egypt.

This exhibition was commenced on July 19, 2024 and will last until August 17, 2025, and the cultural blend of China and Egypt's ancient civilizations is a main attraction for visitors. 

Chinese tourists are seeking strong cultural experiences during this summer, particularly in the museum-related trips.

Another travel platform Tujia.com told the Global Times on Monday that bookings for home accommodation services near museums have nearly doubled compared with last year, with Shanghai being one of the top cities for hotel bookings near museums.

Meanwhile, hotel bookings across the summer for accommodations around the Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China's Sichuan Province have surged by 15 times year-on-year, data from Tujia.com showed on Monday.

Bookings for the Nanjing Museum also saw a 1.5 fold increase, while that of the Shaanxi History Museum seen almost up 50 percent year-on-year in the same period.

The Global Times found on Monday that the tickets for The Civilization of Ancient Egypt exhibition on Trip.com were sold out in four days this week, with limited tickets available on the remaining two days. The museum is opened for six days this week. 

Staff from another travel platform told the Global Times on Monday that indoor museums in Beijing have become popular destinations during the summer holidays, with tickets becoming hard to book during same period every year.

The Global Times also found that hotel bookings and occupancy rates within a 2-kilometers walking distance around the Shanghai Museum were high as of July 19. 

Employees from those hotels told the Global Times on Monday that this situation may be due to the peak for summer travel, combined with the exhibition's popularity. 

"I queued for more than 40 minutes to enter the exhibition hall on July 19, despite the hot weather, everyone's enthusiasm remained high," a visitor surnamed Wu from Central China's Henan Province told the Global Times on Monday. 

"I believe the waiting was worth it,experiencing the ancient Egyptian civilization in China was amazing," Wu added.

Chu Xiaobo, head of the Shanghai Museum, said on opening ceremony that this is the largest global exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts and the highest level in Asia. 

Chu said that it welcomed the first collaboration between a Chinese museum and the Egyptian government, revealing ancient Egypt's splendor and latest archaeological discoveries.

The active museum-related trips during this summer holidays boosted China's traveling market and enriched visitors' cultural experiences.

"Since the exhibition started, there has been a noticeable increase in tourists with the lively atmosphere around the museum, streets and metro stations are bustling with enthusiastic visitors," Qian Jingyan, a visitor who visited the exhibition in Shanghai told the Global Times on Monday. 

"This visit is really an excellent experience for me, highlighting the brilliance of ancient Egyptian civilization and kindling my pride in the thousands of years' of Chinese heritage," Qian added.