Holiday travel boom ignites China's economic vibrancy

As the world ushered in the New Year, global tourism witnessed a festive surge, with the Christmas and New Year holiday period sparking an unprecedented travel rush.

China, a sought-after destination for international travelers, attracted crowds eager to explore its ancient heritage, modern marvels, and stunning landscapes—all made even more accessible thanks to the country's 240-hour visa-free transit policy.

Meanwhile, China's own citizens were on the move too, with outbound travel showing explosive growth, becoming a key driver of the tourism industry and a catalyst for broader economic development.

Chinese people are on the move

According to the National Immigration Administration, during the 2025 New Year's holiday, China's border inspection agencies facilitated 1.803 million inbound and outbound trips, marking a 13.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This includes 869,000 trips by Chinese mainland residents (up 11.1 percent), 749,000 by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents (up 12.8 percent), and 185,000 by foreign nationals (up 33.6 percent).

Although New Year's Day is just a one-day holiday, many people extended it into a mini vacation by combining it with their annual leave or taking additional days off. Data from Fliggy, an online travel platform, shows that demand for high-end hotel bookings in China surged around the New Year holiday, with reservations in the past week increasing by over 40 percent compared to last year.

Popular domestic destinations included Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Nanjing, Xi'an, and Harbin. For outbound travel, top destinations were Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, the United States, Australia, Vietnam, France, and Singapore.

Fliggy's report also highlighted that regions like Heilongjiang, Jilin, Xinjiang, and Hebei became particularly popular for "snow and ice tourism" during the New Year. Ticket sales for indoor snow and ice attractions in cities like Chengdu, Wuhan, Shaoxing, and Wuxi soared, with activities such as skiing and hot springs gaining widespread appeal. In contrast, southern destinations like Hainan, Guangxi, and Guangdong saw a rise in bookings for "winter escape" trips. Popular activities in these areas included surfing, night fishing and scuba diving.

Outbound tourism maintained its robust growth from 2023. Fliggy's data showed that by the early hours of January 1, 2025, outbound bookings had increased by nearly 70 percent year on year, with international car rental bookings also rising by over 70 percent. Among the most popular car rental destinations were the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

Free-visa policy brings influx of foreign tourists

China's updated visa-free policies also encouraged many foreign tourists to visit China for the New Year.

Travel company Ctrip's data revealed that from December 31, 2024, to January 1, 2025, inbound tourism orders doubled year-on-year, with orders from neighboring countries like South Korea and Japan growing by 215 percent and 145 percent, respectively.

Since July 2023, China has been actively optimizing its visa-free policies to create a welcoming environment for international travelers. The mutual visa exemption agreement with Georgia came into effect in May. By October, citizens of four additional countries, including Portugal and Greece, were granted visa-free access. China further extended its visa exemption policy to nine more countries, including Bulgaria and Japan, effective from November 30 to the end of 2025.

Data from China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) shows that between January and November 2024, China recorded 29.2 million foreign visits, an impressive 86.2 percent year-on-year increase. Of these, 17.4 million benefited from visa-free entry, marking a 123.3 percent rise.

The most recent updates to the country's visa-free transit policy came on December 17, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the initial 72 hours and subsequent 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. The policy came into effect immediately, and eligible visitors can enter China without a visa through any of the 60 open ports across 24 provincial-level regions, provided their stay does not exceed 240 hours within the designated areas.

Aside from travels, consumer enthusiasm during the holiday is also high. Data from online travel platforms indicate that searches for "New Year's Eve hotels" increased by over 70 percent year-on-year, and hotel bookings for city outskirts rose nearly 20 percent, and Beijing emerged as the most popular city for New Year's Eve hotel reservations, with various countdown events and light shows attracting tourists.

According to Beijing's commerce bureau, the holiday consumption market was vibrant during the holiday, with shopping malls extending their operating hours on New Year's Eve, hosting various cultural and entertainment activities that attracted large crowds. Official data shows that the city's 60 key commercial areas recorded a total footfall of 8.059 million, a 7.8 percent increase year on year.