Chinese language vacationers unfold throughout China this Lunar New Yr, chasing snow in Harbin, heat in Xiamen, and visa-free journeys in Southeast Asia.
The journeys generated 677 billion yuan ($93 billion) in home tourism spending. There was a 5.9% enhance in journey quantity and a 7% rise in income in comparison with final 12 months, based on China’s Ministry of Tradition and Tourism.
China noticed important numbers in each inbound and outbound tourism, with round 14 million whole cross-border vacationers — up over 6% from the earlier 12 months, based on China Buying and selling Desk.
Overseas guests made up almost a million of that whole, up 23% from the identical interval final 12 months, China’s Nationwide Immigration Administration mentioned.
Journey.com Group witnessed a 180% enhance in inbound tour ticket orders, whereas lodge bookings for overseas vacationers rose over 60%. The highest 10 inbound markets included South Korea, the USA, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the UK, Thailand, Russia, Australia and France. The rise in worldwide vacationers comes after a collection of looser visa insurance policies launched by China final 12 months.
However this Lunar New Yr, it wasn’t simply the standard megacities of Beijing and Shanghai drawing crowds — regional cities wealthy in cultural heritage took heart stage.
UNESCO Recognition Fuels Cultural Tourism
This 12 months marked the primary Chinese language Lunar New Yr celebrations, referred to as Spring Pageant, because it was formally added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage record final December.
UNESCO describes the record as a recognition of cultural traditions worldwide — resembling performing arts, social practices, and festive occasions — that embody “the wealth of data and expertise transmitted from one era to the subsequent.”
Chinese language cities leaned into the momentum of worldwide recognition to highlight their cultural heritage by means of organizing new 12 months occasions resembling lion dances, temple gala’s, and people artwork performances, based on the Ministry of Tradition and Tourism.
Experiencing native customs in culturally important locations was a “main focus” of this 12 months’s Lunar New Yr journey, based on Journey.com Group. Shijiazhuang, Fuzhou and Xi’an — wealthy in historic websites and heritage occasions — noticed journey orders on the platform enhance by 50%, 52% and 97%, respectively.
Fliggy, Alibaba’s journey service platform, had related findings in its 2025 Spring Pageant Journey report, noting a 40% rise in demand for “intangible heritage excursions.” Tourism centered on people performances, together with Chinese language opera and firework reveals, rose by 36%.
Though worldwide guests primarily traveled to first-tier cities in China — resembling Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou — smaller cities with widespread historic websites like Dali, Zhuhai, and Beihai noticed a rising curiosity on journey platforms like Qunar.
Information from Tujia, a significant Chinese language homestay reserving platform, reveals that reservations by overseas vacationers throughout the vacation elevated by 3.7 occasions year-on-year, with 51 townships receiving overseas visitors for the primary time.
Outbound Journey Takes Off
Past home journey, Chinese language vacationers visited over 2,100 cities worldwide this Lunar New Yr, marking a 50% enhance in comparison with final 12 months, based on China Buying and selling Desk.
Quick-haul locations resembling Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong led the numbers in outbound journey, with Japan topping the record. Journey.com Group reported that bookings to Japan doubled, whereas Southeast Asian nations like Thailand and Malaysia remained widespread decisions on account of visa-free entry and affordability.
Lengthy-distance journey additionally gained momentum. Journeys to the USA elevated by 53%, whereas journeys to Europe noticed important progress, with Spain, Italy, and France all noticed an increase of greater than 50% in bookings. Whereas the official eight-day Chinese language Lunar New Yr vacation concluded on Wednesday, Feb. 5, the vacation journey rush season is anticipated to proceed by means of Feb. 22, with whole cross-regional journeys anticipated to succeed in 9 billion.
