GUANGZHOU, 2 February 2026 — China’s annual Spring Festival travel rush, widely described as the world’s largest yearly human migration, kicked off on Monday ahead of an extended Lunar New Year holiday, raising expectations of a surge in travel despite lingering concerns over consumer confidence.
This year’s Lunar New Year, ushering in the Year of the Horse, falls on February 17 and will be accompanied by an extra-long nine-day public holiday from February 15 to 23, one day longer than last year’s break. Authorities and businesses are hoping the extended holiday will encourage higher consumer spending on travel, dining and leisure during the festive period.
The outlook, however, remains mixed. Many Chinese consumers have been cautious amid an uncertain economic environment, with households still affected by a prolonged property market downturn and weaker post-pandemic growth momentum that has added to job insecurity.
Even so, a state planning official said last week that China expects a record 9.5 billion passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel period, surpassing the 9.02 billion trips recorded last year.
“Why do I feel it’s even more stressful to buy tickets this year compared to last year? For example, the flight back to my home is already sold out,” said Liu, a 32-year-old traveller departing from Guangzhou airport on Monday. “If you don’t buy early, the price range fluctuates a lot and can even double.”
Major travel platforms reported that Lunar New Year bookings for 2026 have already exceeded last year’s levels. Data from Flight Master showed that as of mid-January, bookings for domestic flights during the holiday period had surpassed 4.13 million, representing a 21% year-on-year increase.
Outbound travel remains heavily skewed toward Southeast Asia, which accounts for nearly 50% of all international bookings, with Thailand among the most popular destinations. In contrast, routes to Japan have fallen sharply, declining by more than 40%, following a geopolitical dispute between China and Japan late last year, according to Flight Master.
Domestically, culturally rich destinations known for their “intangible heritage” have emerged as favourites. Data from online travel agency Qunar showed strong demand for destinations such as Huangshan, Jingdezhen, Quanzhou, Foshan and Zigong, reflecting a growing preference for culture-driven domestic travel during the holiday season.
