Beijing - China's 2026 Spring Festival or Chinese New Year holiday has broken multiple records in travel, leisure and consumption as the government prolonged the holiday period to nine days from previously seven days to a massive people migration session across the country to celebrate the festivities with their loved ones.
By extending the traditional seven-day holiday, the long break has facilitated a "segmented holiday" model. Consumers can first fulfill family obligations and then embark on long-haul leisure travel, channeling dormant liquidity into the hospitality, aviation, and service sectors.
The Spring Festival travel period this year, running from February 2 to March 13, is expected to see a record 9.5 billion cross-regional passenger trips.
According data from Qunar, 20% of traveler aged above 60s flying to Beijing during the 2026 Spring Festival holiday. It's increasing by 1.6 times compared to the 2025 Spring Festival holiday.
Qunar also showed that Chinese tourists flocked to 475 cities globally with the most popular international destinations being in Asia, where travel distances are shorter, visa policies are more accessible and temperatures are favorable for family vacations.
Based on China State Railway Group, 298 millions ticket for Spring Festival travel rush have been sold for 12.306 train platform on Friday, 20 February 2026.
Leisure activities are also thriving. For example, China's film market is off to a strong start in 2026, with total box office revenue (including pre-sales) surpassing 6 billion yuan (approximately $868.2 million) by Friday. The Spring Festival season alone contributed over 3.4 billion yuan, according to state-controlled media CGTV.
Some foreigner also experienced and gained attraction during Spring Festival Holiday. The trend is reflected in an increase in foreign visitors.
China's National Immigration Administration forecasts that the average daily number of inbound and outbound travelers nationwide will surpass 2.05 million during the Spring Festival holiday, up 14.1 percent year on year.
