Global food festival sparks consumption boom

Global Taste in Shanghai, a gourmet festival that kicked off at the start of the new year, has attracted crowds of diners to participating restaurants, boosting business.

Many restaurants reported a 20 to 30 percent increase in customers over the festival's first weekend. For some, sales of specially curated set menus saw an even larger jump, tripling in certain cases.

The gourmet festival opened with a European flavors season. An official set menu guide featuring European dishes was released, highlighting more than 100 discounted set meals from 50 selected restaurants.

Coquille Seafood Bistro, a well-known French restaurant, climbed to the top of the rankings for French cuisine on Dazhong Dianping, a popular restaurant review platform.

Bistro Lenbach, listed in the festival's official guide, was packed with diners during weekend dinner service, including an influx of international customers, particularly from South Korea, Thailand, and Russia.

Thanks to China's visa-free entry policy and 240-hour visa-free transit policy,Shangri-La Hotel, which offers both accommodation and dining, has seen increasing international guest numbers.

Festival organizers plan to maintain momentum by introducing special menus for upcoming holidays, including the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival.