On January 27, Tongcheng Travel released the '2026 Spring Festival Travel Trend Report' (hereinafter referred to as the 'Report'). The report shows that the 'longest Spring Festival holiday in history,' combined with a small wave of taking five days off to enjoy a fifteen-day holiday, has significantly boosted activity in the new year's cultural tourism market. On the Tongcheng Travel platform, following the trend of simultaneous increases in volume and price seen during New Year’s Day, the booking popularity for major products such as Spring Festival air tickets, hotels, homestays, and group tours has continued to rise over the past month.
The Spring Festival is not only an important time for family reunions but also another 'super long golden week' outside of National Day. The report indicates that due to the longer holiday, the proportion of people traveling during the 2026 Spring Festival is expected to increase further, gradually catching up with the numbers of those returning home. With a mix of leisure, visiting relatives and friends, and family reunions, the characteristics of 'segmented celebrations' and 'multi-faceted Spring Festival experiences' will become increasingly prominent. This reflects in travel trends: apart from passenger peaks at the start and end of the holiday, multiple travel peaks will emerge during the festival period. Notably, the peak period for users switching modes and starting new journeys will occur on the second and third days of the Lunar New Year.
Various regions are launching 'New Year Atmosphere Campaigns.' Where can one find the most unique traditional customs?
In line with the mainstream trend of 'seeking the New Year atmosphere,' Guangdong, Fujian, Sichuan, and other regions have launched 'New Year Atmosphere Campaigns.' According to Tongcheng Travel data, Guangdong focuses on unique Lingnan customs and has initiated a series of cultural tourism activities under the theme 'Welcome to Guangdong for the 2026 New Year.' As of January 27, hotel bookings for the Spring Festival in Guangdong Province have increased by 169% compared to the same period last year. Guangzhou, the provincial capital, has attracted significant tourist flow through events like flower markets and fireworks displays, with Spring Festival flight bookings ranking among the top five nationwide.
Meanwhile, Qingyuan City in Guangdong Province performed notably well. As of January 27, hotel bookings for the Spring Festival in Qingyuan City rose by 342% year-on-year, ranking sixth among all cities nationwide. The Chaoshan region of Guangdong was no less impressive, with hotel bookings for the Spring Festival in Jieyang and Shantou increasing by 337% and 212%, respectively.
Sichuan Province features the Zigong Lantern Festival as its main attraction, complemented by New Year cultural activities such as the Sanxingdui New Year Ceremony and the Emei Mountain Ice and Snow Hot Spring Season, making it a sought-after destination for those seeking the New Year atmosphere. According to Tongcheng Travel data, Chengdu ranks fourth among the top ten domestic destinations for Spring Festival flight bookings. Hotels near the Zhonghua Lantern World in Zigong show tight availability, with prices doubling during the Spring Festival compared to regular days. Two renowned attractions, Emei Mountain and the Sanxingdui Museum, have entered the top twenty popular scenic spots nationwide for the Spring Festival.
Recently, the 'Year Pig Craze' sweeping across various parts of the country has further boosted the popularity of traditional custom tours. Taking Chongqing as an example, as of January 27, hotel bookings for the Spring Festival in Chongqing have risen by 158% compared to the same period last year, firmly holding a place in the top ten list of popular domestic hotel booking cities, ranking just behind Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Sanya. As the world's capital of hot springs, the search and booking热度 of well-known hot springs such as Ronghui Hot Spring City and Tongjing Hot Spring in Chongqing continue to rise during the Spring Festival.
Beyond characteristic traditional custom tours, intangible cultural heritage tours and cultural tours during the Spring Festival are also particularly fitting. According to Tongcheng Travel data, the top ten list of popular domestic hotel booking cities for the Spring Festival is dominated by first-tier and emerging first-tier cities. However, Fuzhou, a 'National Historical and Cultural City,' has carved out a niche for itself, securing tenth place. The auspicious phrase 'Celebrate the Blessed New Year, Enjoy Good Fortune' has further ignited interest in Fuzhou's cultural tourism. As a 'World Heritage City,' Quanzhou remains highly popular, with flight bookings from cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, and Wuhan to Quanzhou continuing to heat up before and after the Spring Festival; some economy-class flight tickets have already risen to full price.
Southbound warm-weather tours offer diverse highlights, while northbound ice and snow appreciation maintains high enthusiasm.
Every Spring Festival, Hainan Island, with its azure seas and warm, pleasant climate, remains a classic and highly sought-after destination. The report shows that with the arrival of the first Spring Festival after the island-wide customs closure, tourism热度 in Hainan Province has surged significantly. As of January 27, the booking热度 for key products such as round-trip flights, hotels, homestays, and scenic area tickets during the Spring Festival in Hainan has surpassed that of the same period in 2025, showing trends of longer visitor stays, higher consumption quality, and a more balanced visitor demographic.
Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that Haikou and Sanya both made it onto the list of the top 10 most searched domestic flight destinations during the Spring Festival. As of January 27, overall hotel booking heat in Hainan Province for the Spring Festival has increased by 191% year-on-year, placing it among the top growth rates in the country. Specifically, Spring Festival hotel bookings in Haikou, Sanya, and LingShui Li Autonomous County have risen by over 227%, 167%, and 169%, respectively.
A closer look reveals that the proportion of high-quality hotel bookings in Haikou and Sanya continues to rise, surpassing the national average. Driven by robust demand for duty-free shopping, there has been an increase in users opting for stays of 4 to 6 days compared to previous years. Regarding guest demographics, economically stable families with children born in the 1980s remain the main customer base but their share has decreased by 8 percentage points. In contrast, younger travelers born after 1995 and 2000, as well as the new 'silver-haired' generation born in the 1970s, are becoming more active, with their combined share increasing by over 10 percentage points.
Yunnan Province, another popular winter retreat, is emerging as a 'dark horse destination.' According to Tongcheng Travel data, Kunming ranks seventh among the top 10 domestic flight booking destinations for the Spring Festival, climbing three places compared to the same period last year. As of January 27, cities such as Xishuangbanna, Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang have seen their Spring Festival hotel booking heat grow by one to two times compared to last year’s Spring Festival. Among scenic spots, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang stands out, ranking within the top 15 most popular tourist attractions nationwide for the Spring Festival.
The booming tourism market in Yunnan is not limited to well-known cities; this Spring Festival, hidden gems like Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture have gained more attention. The Report shows that as of January 27, Dehong's Spring Festival hotel booking heat surged by over 154% year-on-year, while customized five-day in-depth tours to Shangri-La in Diqing continue to sell well.
Complementing the southbound winter escape trend, the northbound ice and snow tourism remains robust this Spring Festival. Forecast reports indicate that Harbin ranks sixth among the top 10 domestic flight booking destinations for the Spring Festival, with its primary visitor sources being Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. Harbin Ice and Snow World also maintains its position within the top 10 most popular tourist attractions nationwide for the Spring Festival.
In addition, ski resort bookings in Jilin, Liaoning, and Xinjiang are heating up. According to Wanda Hotels and Resorts data, as of January 21, bookings at Changbaishan Wanda International Resort for the Spring Festival holiday increased by 14% year-on-year, with skier visits growing by 8.5%. At Wanfeng Tonghua Ski Resort, Spring Festival bookings rose by 16%, and skier visits grew by 19%. The Report highlights that advanced bookings for Northeast Asia Ski Resort in Shenyang, Baiyun Ski Resort in Urumqi, and General Mountain Ski Resort in Altay are also highly sought after, driving up demand for nearby hotels, which saw prices surge by over 80% above regular rates.
Travelers returning home are securing hotel rooms in advance, and 'non-interprovincial' tourism is gaining popularity.
Every Spring Festival, those traveling back home for family reunions have traditionally been the main demographic. However, amid evolving consumer attitudes and upgraded preferences, staying in hotels instead of homes during the Spring Festival has become a rising trend. The Report indicates that currently, among the top 100 cities showing the highest year-on-year growth in Spring Festival hotel booking heat, approximately 20% belong to prefecture-level cities under provinces known for large labor outflows, including Henan, Anhui, Sichuan, and Jiangxi. As of January 27, Spring Festival hotel booking heat in Ganzhou, Xinyang, Nanchong, and Anqing has grown by 252%, 169%, 278%, and 175%, respectively.
As travel becomes an integral part of everyday life, the desire for sightseeing among returning travelers is also increasing. To avoid delaying family visits, they prefer 'non-interprovincial' local tourism, such as traveling from counties to cities, from prefecture-level cities to provincial capitals, or exploring popular tourist cities within the province. The Report suggests that this Spring Festival, hotel accommodations, homestays, and ticket reservations for attractions in Kaifeng, Luoyang, Huangshan, Xuancheng, and Shangrao are thriving, with nearly 40% of visitors coming from within the province. Fast-growing attractions include Kaifeng’s Wansui Mountain Wuxia City, Kaifeng Qingming Riverside Scene Park, Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, Shangrao Ling Mountain Scenic Area, and Huangshan Scenic Area.
Notably, in recent years, domestic theme parks have increasingly expanded into lower-tier markets, becoming popular destinations for family outings during the Spring Festival. Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that family-friendly theme parks such as Zhengzhou Fantawild Adventure, Changzhou China Dinosaur Park, and Wuhu Fantawild Dreamland are seeing rising booking heat for the Spring Festival.
Meanwhile, the "reverse migration trend" during the Spring Festival has drawn significant attention. Some young people who have settled in first-tier cities or are single children have chosen to bring their parents from their hometowns to big cities for family reunions during the holiday. The Report shows that in the days leading up to the Spring Festival, there was a notable increase in the booking of "reverse" flights from small and medium-sized airports to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Popular routes included Yulin-Shanghai, Hengyang-Beijing, Yibin-Shenzhen, Yancheng-Guangzhou, and Changzhi-Shanghai.
Outbound travel destinations are reaching farther, with multiple central and western cities appearing on the list of popular departure points.
The combination of the "longest Spring Festival holiday in history" and the "take 5 days off, enjoy 15 days off" leave-stitching model has made outbound travel demand this Spring Festival more robust than in previous years. The Report indicates that Southeast Asia, with its moderate flight distances, strong festive atmosphere, and visa-free convenience, remains the top overseas destination for Chinese travelers during the Spring Festival. As of now, Southeast Asian destinations account for half of the top 10 most popular Spring Festival outbound travel destinations, including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bali.
Under the catalytic effect of the extended Spring Festival holiday, travelers' international footprints are expanding further, driving an increase in long-haul outbound travel popularity during this year's Spring Festival. Emerging visa-free countries such as Russia and Turkey are particularly noteworthy. As of January 27, bookings for flights, hotels, and other products destined for Russia and Turkey during the Spring Festival have surged by over 113% and 248%, respectively, compared to last year’s Spring Festival. A number of Middle Eastern tourist destinations are also gaining favor among users, with countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman experiencing rapid increases in popularity during the holiday period. Classic European destinations remain the preferred choice for those utilizing the "take 5 days off, enjoy 15 days off" leave strategy, with France, Italy, Spain, and the UK being among the most popular long-haul outbound travel destinations for the Spring Festival.
Against the backdrop of mass consumer upgrades in travel, non-first-tier cities, especially those in central and western China, have shown heightened enthusiasm for outbound travel during this year's Spring Festival holiday. The Report shows that central and western cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Urumqi, Taiyuan, and Changsha have appeared on the list of the top 15 outbound travel source cities, accounting for approximately 40%. Coastal cities in the east continue to be the main drivers of outbound travel, with Hangzhou standing out significantly. Its outbound travel popularity has surpassed Guangzhou's, making it the fourth largest source city for outbound travelers after Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen.
