Spring Festival holiday sees over 2.8 billion trips, with cultural and tourism consumption becoming more trendy

China Securities Journal Reporter Tang Ying

The 2026 Spring Festival holiday has come to an end, and the 9-day holiday further released residents’ demands for returning home, visiting relatives, traveling, and consumption. According to data released by the Ministry of Transport, during the Spring Festival holiday (February 15 to 23), the total cross-regional population flow is expected to exceed 2.8 billion person-times.

The extended holiday allows consumers to travel farther and enjoy more diverse activities, with segmented travel becoming mainstream. Ctrip data shows two peak travel periods during the Spring Festival holiday: the first day in the south mainly for returning home and visiting relatives, and from the second day of the Lunar New Year, family travel saw explosive growth, with three generations traveling together becoming a holiday highlight. Meituan Travel data indicates a 76% year-on-year increase in parent-child ticket bookings during the holiday, with multi-generational travel becoming a new trend. In terms of destinations, the average person checked into 2.2 cities during the holiday, and the number of people visiting multiple cities for cultural and tourism consumption increased by 50% year-on-year.

Meanwhile, reverse New Year celebrations have become a new choice for family reunions. In the week before the Spring Festival holiday, bookings for flights to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou saw a significant increase among travelers over 50 years old. Meituan Travel data shows that Shenzhen, a popular destination for reverse New Year travel, experienced a “good start” in cultural and tourism consumption during the holiday, with bookings up 77% year-on-year. The Window of the World, Shenzhen Happy Valley, and China Folk Culture Village became popular attractions for visitors.

Seeking traditional “New Year flavor” remains the core theme of domestic travel during the Spring Festival. Experience-based consumption such as intangible cultural heritage and folk customs exhibitions saw further significant growth in 2026. Guangdong, Fujian, and other regions became popular destinations for traditional New Year customs tours. Several特色县城 (special county towns), supported by convenient transportation, attracted visitors from all directions. Data from LY.com shows that among the top ten popular destinations for New Year flavor tours, Shantou ranked first, with Fuzhou, Ganzhou, and Dehong also on the list. Hotels and homestays in counties such as Huangshan Yixian, Guilin Yangshuo, and Jinzhong Pingyao saw year-on-year growth of over 400%.

Additionally, ice and snow tourism continues to be popular, with traditional destinations like Harbin and Changbai Mountain remaining hot. Harbin Ice and Snow World, boosted by the Spring Festival Gala’s sub-venue effect, saw a surge in popularity. Indoor ski resorts such as Nantong Sandi Ice and Snow Ocean Park and Shenzhen World of Wonder’s Alps Ice and Snow World have become the top choices for southern tourists to experience winter fun.

In outbound travel, following events has become a new trend this Spring Festival. Data from LY.com shows that hotel bookings in Italian cities like Milan and Venice during the holiday increased by over 200% year-on-year.

Beyond the cultural and tourism markets, product consumption during the Spring Festival holiday also shows “new” characteristics. As of February 19, 2026, the “old for new” consumer promotion benefited 28.88 million people, driving sales of 198.02 billion yuan. Suning.com data indicates that automatic water and floor cleaning robots, smart temperature-controlled refrigerators, and large-screen TVs supporting voice interaction are the platform’s three most popular smart home appliances. AI-integrated scenario experience new smart home appliances have become the top trending New Year goods, accounting for 55% of related product sales.

(Edited by: Wen Jing)