Beijing's service consumption rose 4.4% year on year in the first eight months of 2025, consolidating the sector's role as a new engine of economic growth, the city's commerce bureau announced on Thursday. Culture and entertainment, information services, and transportation provided strong momentum.

Cultural and entertainment services were especially vibrant. From January to August, both box office revenues and cinema attendance achieved double-digit growth, as did ticket sales and audiences for live performances. 

Major events amplified this momentum. During this year's Beijing International Film Festival, foot traffic in more than 10 key shopping areas in Chaoyang district climbed to over 5 million ($703,055), with sales surpassing 480 million yuan. The Bird's Nest stadium hosted 44 large-scale concerts, attracting nearly 2.4 million attendees and stimulating consumer spending in the surrounding area. With the 2025 China Open tennis tournament around the corner, sports events are expected to further boost spending.

The city also strengthened its global consumer appeal. Optimized visa-free transit policies, improved inbound travel services, and richer tourism offerings pushed inbound arrivals to 448,000 from January to July, generating 4.15 billion yuan in tourism revenue — both rising more than 30% year on year. Domestic travel demand was also robust, with passenger turnover increasing 5.2% for rail, 3.0% for road, and 2.7% for air over the same period.

Officials noted that as consumers increasingly seek immersive and personalized services, Beijing will expand the supply of quality offerings, strengthen policy coordination, and continue advancing cross-sector integration to inject new vitality into the consumption market.