Chongqing - As winter vacation begins across Chinese universities, a surge in student trips has helped usher in the peak booking period for Spring Festival travel. During the holiday period, family trips account for more than 30% of all journeys, with theme parks and museums ranking as the most popular attractions.
On Nov 21, the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum opened "The Stories Between Chongqing & the Palace Museum," a special exhibition tracing the southward relocation of Palace Museum relics and the westward journey of privately owned treasures during the Global Anti-Fascist War. (Photo: Deng Yan)
Data from travel platform Qunar shows that hotel bookings in popular cities for the Chinese New Year have risen 70% year-on-year. The wave of travel, primarily driven by families and students, highlights the increasing mobility and diverse travel preferences of Chinese residents during the country’s most important holiday.
Chongqing’s iconic landmark, Jiefangbei, on New Year's Eve. (Photo/CQ News)
Chongqing stands out this year as a major hotspot for inbound tourism after Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen, and Harbin, attracting international visitors eager to experience Chinese New Year traditions amid its unique urban landscape. Known for its layered "8-Dimensional" topography and vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic, the southwestern metropolis has recorded a historic high in overseas arrivals.
The landscape of Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Nan'an District)
"Chongqing is warmly welcoming global travelers with the same hospitality we show through our hotpot - spicy, lively, and memorable," wrote Chongqing Fly, an official account of Chongqing Immigration Inspection Station.
A photo of a representative of the Chongqing Immigration Inspection Station and foreign passengers. (Photo/Chongqing Fly)
In 2025, Chongqing handled over 760,000 inbound foreign passengers, a 30% increase year-on-year. Most arrived from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea, with visitors from ASEAN nations accounting for 72% of the total.
In 2025, Chongqing handled over 760,000 inbound foreign passengers. (Photo/Chongqing Fly)
China’s expanded visa-free policies have further supported this growth. Nearly 275,000 foreign travelers entered Chongqing without a visa last year under mutual or unilateral exemption schemes, representing about 70% of all international arrivals.
Outbound travel from Chongqing also remains strong, with Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Italy as the top destinations.
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. (Photo/Chongqing Fly)
This two-way flow of travelers reflects both China’s growing appeal as a cultural destination and the continuing desire of Chinese tourists to explore the world - even during the traditional family reunion season.