China starts New Year with strong tourism performance

The Chinese tourism market is starting 2026 with a strong momentum, driven by diverse consumer preferences and emerging travel trends that fueled a surge in tourism during the New Year holiday.

Travel driven by New Year's Eve celebrations emerged as a popular trend. Searches for such travel experiences, including countdown performances, fireworks shows and light displays, rose 58 percent year on year, according to online travel agency Fliggy.

Themed entertainment parks, with rich activities and festive atmosphere, proved especially popular among young travelers. Destinations such as Shanghai Disney Resort and Harbin Ice and Snow World saw a rise in bookings.

While some holidaymakers sought ice-and-snow experiences in northern destinations, others opted for warmer getaways in the south, forming two distinct and contrasting travel trends during the holiday.

Fliggy data showed that Harbin, a top winter tourism destination in China, recorded a surge of more than 260 percent in bookings for packaged tour routes, while chauffeured car tour bookings rose by around 180 percent year on year, according to Heilongjiang Daily. Meanwhile, data from Qunar showed that Sanya and Haikou in southern China's Hainan Province, saw year-on-year increases of 51 percent and 19 percent in flight bookings, respectively, reported The Paper.

Notably, both outbound and inbound tourism gained momentum during the holiday.

A report from Utour showed that short-haul overseas trips emerged as the top choice for many travelers, recording a rise of 58 percent year on year, according to the Securities Times. Long-haul destinations also gained popularity as some travelers took additional leave days around the New Year holiday for an extended break. Trips to Australia and New Zealand rose by 310 percent compared to the same period last year, while Europe-bound travel rose by 178 percent year on year.

In terms of inbound travel, ticket bookings jumped 110 percent year on year, while bookings for inbound experience-based leisure and entertainment products surged by more than 30 times, data from Trip.com suggested.