Hundreds of Thousands of Comic and Gaming Fans Flock to Shanghai for Bilibili World 2025

(Yicai) July 10 — Bilibili World 2025, one of China’s largest expos for anime, comics, and games (ACG) enthusiasts, is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults, underscoring the growing trend of tourism linked to comics and gaming culture.

Data from travel platforms show that China’s ACG enthusiasts — especially those born after 2000 — are increasingly eager to travel for community gatherings.

The three-day event, organized by the video-sharing platform Bilibili, kicks off tomorrow in Shanghai. Last year’s expo drew over 700 exhibitors and 800 content creators from China and abroad, attracting more than 250,000 visitors and making it one of the largest events of its kind in the country.

China became the world’s largest ACG market last year, with the industry valued at over CNY270 billion (USD37.6 billion), surpassing both the smart home and coffee sectors, according to Qianzhan Industrial Research Institute. As of last year, China had 503 million ACG fans, according to data mining firm iiMedia Research.

Travel agency Meituan Travel reported that cultural and tourism bookings in Shanghai rose 35 percent this week in the lead-up to Bilibili World 2025 compared with the previous week. Searches for train tickets to Shanghai increased by 36 percent, while flight bookings to the city jumped nearly 50 percent year-on-year. Early bookings for premium hotels near the convention venue surged nearly sixfold.

Notably, Meituan Travel also found that nearly 15 percent of all visitors booking high-end hotels in Shanghai in the first week of July were born after 2000.

The event draws travelers from cities both large and small. Among post-2000 air travelers, most are arriving from cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang (Liaoning), Beijing, Xi’an, Kunming, Wuhan, and Changchun (Jilin).

However, smaller cities are showing faster growth. Flight bookings from Baotou (Inner Mongolia), Zhangjiajie (Hunan), Heze (Shandong), Qionghai (Hainan), and Jiayuguan (Gansu) are rising rapidly, outpacing growth seen in first- and second-tier cities.

Before the event begins, many travelers are flocking to Bailian ZX, a commercial complex in Shanghai often dubbed the “Akihabara of China,” in reference to Tokyo’s iconic district for video games, anime, and electronics. Meituan Travel data show that, in the first week of this month, food searches near the mall surged more than ninefold, while hotel searches nearby rose over fourfold.

Editor: Emmi Laine