China experienced an unprecedented surge in travel and consumption during its eight-day Spring Festival holiday, with many Chinese people embarking on returning journeys on Tuesday, the last day of the holiday, according to People's Daily.
During the Spring Festival holiday, China's consumption showed strong momentum, with retail and dining sales rising by 5.4% compared to the previous year, according to News China. The nation witnessed a surge driven by family reunions, cultural activities, and a burgeoning interest in domestic tourism, according to Travel And Tour World.
China's railway system marked a historic high during the Spring Festival holiday, transporting 16.45 million passengers on a single day, as reported by News China. Over the eight-day holiday, over 2.3 billion passenger trips were made across regions in China, People's Daily reported. The Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, is a 40-day period that began on January 14, during which travel volume is on track to reach a record 9 billion passenger trips, according to News China.
Notable tourist destinations such as Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang and Yangshuo County in Guangxi became particularly popular. Altay attracted nearly 192,000 tourists and generated approximately 225 million yuan in tourism revenue, according to Travel And Tour World. Similarly, Yangshuo County welcomed an estimated 410,600 tourists and generated 589 million yuan in revenue, as reported by Travel And Tour World. Domestic tourism in China reached an all-time high during the Spring Festival holiday, with people flocking to tourist destinations, enjoying cultural experiences, and indulging in holiday shopping, according to Travel And Tour World.
Experts noted that the holiday season saw a shift in consumer behavior, particularly among younger generations and families, reported News China. An increasing number of young families in China favored smaller cities and off-the-beaten-path destinations, immersing themselves in intangible cultural heritage and historical landmarks. They sought not only fun and relaxation but also education and cultural enrichment during their travels.
The increase in cultural tourism and consumption reflects a growing demand for both traditional and contemporary cultural activities, extending beyond films to include heritage experiences, Travel And Tour World reported. Group-buying orders for intangible cultural heritage-themed packages surged by over 12 times since January year-on-year, while relevant searches for intangible cultural heritage tourism jumped by 40 percent year-on-year, according to People's Daily. This shift towards cultural tourism among young families has led to higher demands for cultural products and services, prompting the introduction of new business models and formats that better align with contemporary cultural consumption patterns, News China reported.
The Chinese film industry achieved unprecedented success during the Spring Festival consumption spree, making it the highest-grossing Spring Festival film season in history, reported Manila Times. China's box office revenue for the Spring Festival holiday reached a historic high of 8.02 billion yuan, with domestic films, particularly "Ne Zha 2," contributing significantly to this record, according to People's Daily. From January 29 to February 3, China's daily box office exceeded 1 billion yuan for six consecutive days, reflecting the holiday's impact on consumer spending, as reported by News China. All the films at the top of the box office chart during the holiday were domestic productions, News China reported.
"The historic high box office of the Spring Festival holiday reflects the high-quality development in domestic films and highlights the strong recognition of Chinese traditional culture among audiences," said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, according to News China.
In addition to cinema, other sectors experienced growth. According to data from Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao, its restaurants across China had received around 40,000 bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners by January 21, while Meituan reported a 300 percent year-on-year increase in online reservations for such dinners, reported Manila Times. Online consumption also boomed, with sales of specialty products from northeast China's Liaoning province growing rapidly during the shopping spree, according to Manila Times. Sales volume of specialty products from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region rose 160 percent year on year during the shopping spree, Manila Times reported.
International travel from China showed remarkable growth during the Spring Festival holiday, with cruise bookings increasing by more than six times from the previous year, reflecting the growing interest of the middle class in global destinations, according to Travel And Tour World. Shanghai Airport Group reported a record-breaking 404,000 passengers during the peak period of the Spring Festival holiday, with Pudong Airport seeing 259,000 passengers and Hongqiao Airport seeing 145,000 passengers, as reported by News China.
Authorities implemented toll-free policies for small vehicles during the holiday period, and services at congested areas and rest stops were enhanced to accommodate the increased travel volume, according to News China. The Spring Festival holiday highlighted China's rapidly evolving travel and consumption market, with a rise in self-drive trips and an increase in online consumption, reported Travel And Tour World.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq