China's 2026 Spring Festival Sets New Benchmarks for Travel and Consumption

Record-Breaking Holiday Season Concludes

China's 2026 Spring Festival holiday, which officially ran for an unprecedented nine days from February 15 to February 23, has established new records in travel, leisure, and consumption. The broader 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, known as 'chunyun,' commenced on February 2 and is projected to conclude on March 13, with an estimated 9.5 billion inter-regional passenger trips recorded during this period. This figure represents a notable increase from the approximately 9.02 billion trips registered last year.

Unprecedented Mobility Across the Nation

The surge in travel during the 2026 Spring Festival was evident across all modes of transportation. Road travel, predominantly self-driving, constituted approximately 80 percent of all inter-regional journeys. China's railway network saw an estimated 540 million passenger trips, while civil aviation handled around 95 million passengers. Both overall volumes and daily peak figures for rail and air travel are reported to have surpassed historical levels. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) reported that average daily inbound and outbound passenger flows during the nine-day holiday exceeded 2.05 million, marking a 14.1 percent increase year-on-year and reaching the highest level since 2019.

Robust Consumption and Leisure Spending

The extended holiday period significantly boosted consumer spending and leisure activities. In the first four days of the holiday, major retail and catering businesses experienced an 8.6 percent rise in average daily sales compared to the previous year. Traffic and revenue in 78 key shopping streets and districts climbed by 4.5 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively, within the first three days. The southern island province of Hainan reported robust duty-free sales, reaching 970 million yuan (nearly 140 million U.S. dollars) in the first four days, an increase of 15.8 percent year-on-year. Domestic tourism consumption on major platforms grew by 4.5 percent in the first three days, with car-rental bookings seeing a substantial 26 percent jump. The film market also thrived, with box office revenue surpassing 6 billion yuan (approximately $868.2 million) by February 20, of which over 3.4 billion yuan was contributed by the Spring Festival season alone.

Key Drivers Behind the Records

Several factors contributed to the record-breaking holiday. The official nine-day holiday, described as the longest in history, provided ample opportunity for extended travel and leisure. China's expanded visa-free entry policies for numerous countries played a crucial role in boosting inbound tourism, with flight bookings by foreigners soaring over 400 percent compared to the previous year. Government initiatives, including campaigns by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism offering 360 million yuan (US$51.6 million) in vouchers and discounts, further stimulated cultural consumption and tourism. Additionally, the 'silver economy,' referring to travelers aged 60 and above, showed a significant increase in flight bookings, reflecting a growing trend of older individuals engaging in travel. Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of ensuring transportation services, workplace safety, and improved tourism services throughout the busy period.