Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that destinations such as Shantou, Fuzhou, and Taiyuan, which are known for their unique traditional New Year customs and immersive experiences, have gained significant popularity. Reservation volumes for tickets to popular attractions and visitor traffic remain at high levels.
The festive atmosphere of family reunions has yet to subside, while a nationwide tourism boom has quietly taken off. According to data from Tongcheng Travel (00780) via Zhitong Finance, the nine-day Spring Festival holiday made 'segmented celebration' even more popular. February 18 (the second day of the Lunar New Year) to February 19 (the third day of the Lunar New Year) became the peak travel period during the festival, with air travel activity rising by 38% compared to the same period last year. For the entire Spring Festival holiday, the number of passengers taking two or more flights is expected to increase by more than half year-on-year.
Under the dual influence of 'reuniting with family first and then setting out for vacation,' the peak hotel occupancy during the festival was even more pronounced domestically. Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that the average domestic hotel price during the festival (from the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year) was over 30% higher than before the Spring Festival, with some popular tourist cities seeing prices double or even more. Additionally, hotel stays of 2 to 4 consecutive nights dominated bookings, with hotels near famous scenic spots and popular commercial areas being particularly in demand.
This year marks the second 'Intangible Cultural Heritage Chinese New Year' after the successful inscription of the Spring Festival on the UNESCO list. According to Tongcheng Travel, destinations such as Shantou, Fuzhou, and Taiyuan, known for their unique traditional customs and immersive experiences, stood out. Reservations and visitor flows at popular attractions remained high. While long-haul international travelers who took extra leave started their trips early, many travelers on the Tongcheng Travel platform opted for short-haul destinations like Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia during the middle of the festival.
A Grand Competition of 'Distinctive New Year Flavor Tours': This Year’s Travelers Search Nationwide for Hidden Gem Celebration Destinations
The older I get, the more I miss the precious New Year atmosphere.” A month ago, Xiaowan began searching extensively for guides and making plans. Having seen enough dragon and lion dances and visited numerous temple fairs, this year she wanted to spend the Spring Festival at a place with rich New Year traditions and unique experiences.
Xiaowan is not alone in her thinking. According to Tongcheng Travel, in the past two weeks, searches for keywords such as 'New Year flavor' have surged by 358% on the platform. As of February 19 (the third day of the Lunar New Year), cities such as Shantou, Fuzhou, Chaozhou, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Huangshan, Zigong, Kaifeng, and Shangrao ranked among the top 10 destinations for 'Distinctive New Year Flavor Tours.' Celebrating the New Year in the 'most festive places' has become a new trend.
The millennium-old intangible cultural heritage represented by Yingge dance brought a surge of visitors to the Chaoshan region. According to Tongcheng Travel, in the first half of the Spring Festival holiday, the popularity ranking of inbound flights to Chaoshan Airport climbed significantly, improving by nearly 10 positions compared to last year's Spring Festival. Major source cities included Shanghai and Beijing, as well as Chongqing, Haikou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi’an, and Kunming. Among the top 20 most popular hotel regions nationwide, the Chaoshan area occupied three spots: near Xiaogongyuan in Shantou, Shantou MixC, and Chaozhou Ancient City. Moreover, many hotels’ popular room types, such as king-size beds and family rooms, were sold out early.
Fuzhou's tourism maintained high popularity during the Spring Festival thanks to its auspicious reputation as a 'blessed land' combined with grand traditional customs like deity processions. According to Tongcheng Travel, as of February 19, Sanfang Qixiang entered the top 10 list of the nation’s most popular attractions, with search热度 surging over 500% week-on-week. Colorful lanterns and vibrant flower markets filled Guangzhou with strong festive vibes, driving the popularity of renowned local attractions such as the Canton Tower and Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park into the top 15 national rankings.
The influx of dual traveler flows from 'hometown return trips' and inter-provincial 'destination vacations' drove up tourism popularity in central and western cities such as Taiyuan in Shanxi, Xi’an in Shaanxi, Huangshan in Anhui, Kaifeng in Henan, and Shangrao in Jiangxi. According to Tongcheng Travel, as of February 19, hotels near Xi’an Bell Tower, Datang Everbright City, and Wansui Mountain Wuxia City firmly held the top five spots on the list of the nation’s most popular hotel regions.
Taiyuan, with its rich folk activities such as community fire parades and intangible cultural heritage performances, became a hotspot for tourists seeking New Year traditions. In the first half of the Spring Festival holiday, the popularity of inbound flights to Taiyuan Wusu Airport increased by 268% month-on-month. From the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, ticket reservations and visitor flows at attractions such as Laojun Mountain Scenic Area, Huangshan Scenic Area, Zigong China Lantern World, and Gexian Village Resort remained consistently high. The most common ticket orders were for family combinations of 'two adults and one child' and 'two adults and two children.'
Hainan's popularity during the Spring Festival surges, with classic destinations remaining the main 'traffic drivers.'
As the first Spring Festival following the implementation of the island-wide customs operation, Hainan's cultural tourism market has seen an explosive increase in activity. Data from the Tongcheng Travel platform shows that, during the first half of the Spring Festival holiday, the popularity of inbound flights to Haikou Meilan Airport and Sanya Phoenix Airport surged by over 300% compared to the previous month. Among these, the top five hot source cities for flights to Haikou were predominantly first-tier cities, including Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Shanghai; while the top five source cities for flights to Sanya exhibited greater diversity, namely Beijing, Chengdu, Harbin, Xi'an, and Shanghai.
In terms of hotel accommodations, as of February 19, the proportion of high-quality hotel bookings in Haikou and Sanya during the Spring Festival significantly surpassed the national average. Hotels located in core bays such as Sanya's Haitang Bay and Yalong Bay were particularly sought after, with the occupancy rate in the Haitang Bay Tourism Resort Area increasing by 156% compared to the previous month. The most popular room types included sea-view suites, multi-bedroom family suites, and parent-child themed rooms.
Homestays and resort hotels in Wanning, Lingshui, and other areas also experienced a peak in occupancy during the festival, with young travelers born in the 1990s and 2000s, who prioritize 'high quality at a reasonable price,' forming the primary customer base. Specifically, hotels and homestays featuring seaside vacations and surfing themes were highly sought after, with some even reaching full occupancy during the peak period.
Despite the emergence of new destinations and distinctive small towns in recent years, classic destinations represented by Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming, and Harbin continue to serve as the primary hubs of passenger flow during the Spring Festival Golden Week. According to data from Tongcheng Travel, based on mid-festival air travel popularity, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Kunming, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Hangzhou, and Harbin ranked among the top ten domestic destinations. Many travelers opting for 'segmented celebrations' chose Harbin as their preferred destination, resulting in a notable year-on-year increase in the proportion of passengers flying to Harbin during the festival.
Compared to long-haul outbound travel, which started earlier, short-haul outbound trips saw a second wave of popularity during the festival. Data from Tongcheng Travel indicates that a number of Southeast Asian cities became highly sought-after outbound destinations due to visa-free policies, affordability, and warm climates.
According to data from Tongcheng Travel, the top ten popular outbound destinations during the Spring Festival included Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali, Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Macau, and Phuket. In terms of attractions, areas rich in festive atmosphere, such as Bangkok's Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur's Tian Hou Temple, and Singapore's Chinatown, emerged as popular spots for visitors. Regarding itineraries, outbound travel products lasting 4-5 days accounted for over 70% of bookings, with many travelers choosing to 'depart on the second day of the Lunar New Year and return fully laden on the sixth day,' balancing traditional celebrations with overseas vacations.
