In 2024, Guangdong's service industry exceeded 8 trillion yuan ($1.1 trillion) in added value, with per capita service consumption spending rising 7.6% year-on-year to 18,253 yuan, according to a media briefing on facilitating trade in services in Guangdong, held on March 5.

The growth underscores the region's strategic focus on innovative elderly and child care solutions, cross-regional senior care services, and diversified consumption drives to meet evolving societal demands.  

Tech-driven elder care services gain momentum

Guangdong, home to 17.9 million registered residents aged 60 and above (17.46% of its population), is leveraging technology to address aging challenges. 

A participating representative company in the elderly care sector, Shenzhen-based AsTech, showcased AI-powered care products, including portable bed bath machines and smart excrement disposal robots.  

"Our devices enable bedridden seniors to maintain dignity through fully automated hygiene processes while reducing caregiver burdens", said Sun Weihong, general manager of AsTech. The products align with Guangdong's provincial plan to build a 15-minute accessible elderly care service network and retrofit 100,000 homes with age-friendly features by 2025.  

In 2024, Guangdong launched China's first cross-regional elderly care standardization pilot, partnering with Hong Kong and Macao institutions to streamline service quality. Over 10,000 "silver economy" enterprises now operate in the province, with Guangzhou alone issuing 100,000 homecare "Trusted Service Certificates" to standardize domestic helpers.  

Childcare subsidies and culinary tourism fuel domestic demand  

To ease parenting costs, Guangdong distributed nearly 1 million yuan in childcare vouchers across 12 cities last year, benefiting 40,000 families. "We'll expand the program in 2025 to include more high-quality nurseries," said Gao Conglin, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission's Population Department.  

Simultaneously, the province is capitalizing on its cultural appeal to boost spending. The "Travel for Foods" campaign and 100+ seasonal service consumption events drove 2024 tourism revenue up 15.8% to 1.1 trillion yuan, with 874 million visitors. Over the 2025 Spring Festival, tourist arrivals and income hit record highs, rising 5.3% and 7.5% respectively.  

Multiple events to spotlight sports-economy synergy  

Guangdong is gearing up for the 15th National Games in late 2025, hosting 350 competitive and 152 community sports events across 15 cities. The games will feature "Follow the Games to Travel" routes linking venues to local attractions like Dongguan's basketball hubs and Foshan's dragon boat festivals.  

"This is a precious opportunity to fuse sports with commerce and cultural tourism," noted Xie Yinghua, Deputy Director of the Sports Economy Department of the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau. The province will also host the 26th Guangdong International Sports Expo in November, highlighting smart fitness tech and youth programs.