Spring Festival travel surge sets promising tone for Chinese tourism

As China's Spring Festival holiday comes to an end, a surge in travel activity signals a promising trajectory for the country's tourism industry in the year ahead.

Throughout the Spring Festival holiday, air travel experiences a significant uptick, with data from VariFlight, a China-based civil aviation data service provider, indicating sustained high volumes of passengers from the first to the sixth day of the Chinese New Year. Predominant destinations include first- and second-tier central cities as well as popular tourist hubs.

Notably, scenic attractions nationwide witness notable increases in visitor numbers. Statistics reveal that China's major cultural and tourism sites have welcomed 123 million tourists as of Wednesday, reflecting a robust 22.8 percent surge compared to the same period in 2023.

A distinct trend during the Spring Festival holiday is the cross-country travel phenomenon, where individuals from southern regions venture northward in pursuit of ice and snow, while northerners seek refuge from the cold by heading south to warmer climates.

One standout destination experiencing a surge in popularity is the ancient city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province. Featured prominently as a branch venue in China's annual Spring Festival TV Gala, Xi'an has emerged as a favored travel hotspot. During the holiday period, travel bookings in the city have more than tripled, with ticket reservations soaring by an impressive 480 percent year-on-year. 

The robust travel activity observed during the Spring Festival holiday sets a promising tone for the tourism industry in 2024. Projections from the China Tourism Academy indicate that Chinese tourists are poised to embark on over 6 billion domestic trips this year, with the combined tally of inbound and outbound international travelers expected to surpass 260 million, showcasing continued growth and vitality in the tourism sector.