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

Financial Times Reporter Tang Ying

The 2026 Spring Festival holiday has come to an end, with a 9-day break further releasing 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 movement is expected to exceed 2.8 billion trips.

The extended holiday allows consumers to travel farther and enjoy more diverse activities, with segmented travel becoming the mainstream. Data from Tuniu shows two peak travel periods during the holiday: the first day of the holiday 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 that during the Spring Festival, bookings for family tickets increased by 76% year-on-year, and multi-generational travel has become 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 activities increased by 50% year-on-year.

Meanwhile, reverse travel for the New Year has become a new choice for more families to reunite. In the week before the 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 reverse New Year destination, experienced a “good start” in cultural and tourism consumption during the holiday, with bookings up 77% year-on-year. Attractions such as Window of the World, Shenzhen Happy Valley, and Splendid China Folk Village became popular spots for visitors.

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

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

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

Beyond the cultural and tourism markets, product consumption during the holiday also showed “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 top three 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)