International Tourists Flocking to China for Spring Festival

International tourists will flock to China to experience Chinese New Year vibe and flavor with bookings surging for the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, travel operators said.

"Come to China for the Spring Festival" – inbound tourism continues to heat up, according to Shanghai-based online travel platform Trip.com.

The most favored destinations for international tourists include Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xiamen, Harbin and Hangzhou. The destinations range from modern first-tier cities to popular tourist spots with distinctive cultural and tourism features such as Chongqing's iconic 3D architecture and Harbin Ice and Snow World, it announced.

Bookings from Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Russia rank the highest.

Driven by the latest mutual visa-free policies, inbound bookings from Russian tourists have surged by 471 percent year-on-year, and the inbound travel boom from South Korea, dubbed "Leave work on Friday and head to China to spend the weekend," remains robust, with orders from Korean tourists during the Spring Festival holiday increasing by 95 percent year-on-year, according to Trip.com.

As of late January, the number of pre-booked trips for the nine-day Spring Festival holiday has already exceeded the amount in the same period last year, with inbound tourist trips doubling year-on-year, Shanghai Spring Tour revealed.

In January and February, inbound tourists received by Spring Tour have shown a trend of diversified source markets and in-depth experiences, and they stay in the Yangtze River Delta region for an average of three and five days, it said.

The intangible cultural heritage (ICH) market in Zhujiajiao and handicraft stores in Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai are drawing huge crowds. Tourists are keen to purchase Chinese cultural and creative products such as silk, porcelain and rice cakes, and participate in experiential activities such as hanfu photoshoots and interactive pingtan (storytelling and singing in the Suzhou dialect) performances, according to Shanghai Spring Tour.

European tourists, in particular, have a strong willingness to experience traditional Chinese culture, it added.

Under the combined influence of the ultra-long 15-day vacation package (by taking five days of annual leave), the enduring popularity of family travel, and international tourists heading to China for the Spring Festival, this year's Spring Festival is expected to set the "busiest Chinese New Year on record," travel operators said.

Online travel operator Tuniu's latest booking data indicates that the highest travel peak of this Spring Festival is expected to arrive on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

The demand for niche options is prominent this Spring Festival, with significant surge in booking popularity for lower-tier cities such as Anyang, Dehong, Altay, Wenchang, Shantou, Ningde, Yanbian, Pu'er and Chaozhou. More tourists are turning their attention to small cities and counties, pursuing travel experiences filled with the vibrancy of daily life and rural charm, it said.

Lunar New Year activities like visiting temple fairs and admiring lantern shows, as well as in-depth experiences such as hand-making ICH crafts or cultural and creative products are highly favored by tourists.

The average travel days during the Spring Festival has been steadily increasing since 2023, reaching 5.9 days this year, an increase of 1.1 days compared to the last Spring Festival, according to Tuniu.

Chinese travelers' preferences are shifting towards premium small-group tours and in-depth cultural experiences, becoming mainstream trend, VFS Global observed.

Travel demand has expanded beyond first-tier cities to emerging cities, while niche destinations such as Nordic countries are soaring in popularity among Chinese travelers, it said.

Meanwhile, the Winter Olympic Games has boosted the popularity of Italy during the holiday, according to online travel operator Tongcheng Travel.

The booking popularity of Milan hotels during the Spring Festival has increased by over 200 percent year-on-year. Driven by Winter Olympics travel, the tourism popularity of Italian historical and cultural cities such as Venice, Pisa and Naples has also risen sharply, with their hotel prices during the Spring Festival increasing by over 60 percent year-on-year.