Chongqing - China's longest-ever Spring Festival holiday is fueling a major rebound in travel. With nine consecutive days off—and even longer stays made possible by combining annual leave—travel demand across domestic, outbound, and inbound markets has surged, placing Chongqing among the country’s top-performing destinations.
According to data from major online travel platforms, bookings for flights, hotels, and travel products during the Spring Festival period have risen sharply nationwide. Seasonal trends remain clear, with travelers heading north to enjoy winter scenery or south to escape the cold. Some southern coastal and southwestern destinations have seen bookings nearly double, while several northern regions have recorded growth of more than 100 percent.
Foreign tourists enjoy the night in Nan'an District of southwest China's Chongqing, September 30, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)
Extended Holiday Drives Nationwide Travel Surge
The nine-day Spring Festival holiday, running from February 15 to 23, has significantly boosted travel flexibility and demand. Hotel bookings in popular cities are up around 70% year on year, and mid-holiday travel has become increasingly popular, with the third day of the Chinese Lunar New Year emerging as the peak departure date.
Major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Harbin, Chengdu, Xi'an, Fuzhou, and Chongqing, rank among the most in-demand destinations. Industry analysts note that diversified travel preferences—ranging from snow tourism and warm-weather escapes to cultural experiences—are likely to make this year one of the busiest Spring Festival travel seasons on record.
Chongqing Emerges as a Top-Tier Destination
Chongqing has stood out amid the nationwide travel boom. Platform data show that overall Spring Festival travel orders to the city have increased by 34 percent compared with last year, with flight bookings rising at the same pace. Other segments have grown even faster, including organized tour routes, car rentals, and experiential travel products.
Popular attractions such as Hongyadong Scenic Area, the Wulong Karst landscape, the Yangtze River Cableway, Chongqing Zoo, and the ancient town of Baidi in Fengjie County continue to draw large numbers of visitors. Across multiple platforms, Chongqing ranks among the national top ten for domestic, outbound, and inbound tourism indicators during the holiday period.
A giant panda rests at Chongqing zoo in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, December 22, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)
Family travel has become a defining feature of the Spring Festival market. Parent–child trips account for more than 30 percent of bookings, with travelers aged 30 to 50 forming the core group. Demand for higher-quality travel is also rising, as bookings for high-end hotels, theme park resorts, and cultural experience products continue to grow rapidly.
Cross-Border Travel Gains Momentum
The extended holiday has given long-haul and cross-border travel fresh momentum. Outbound trips are covering greater distances, with destinations requiring flights of eight hours or more accounting for over 60 percent of overseas bookings. Countries such as Türkiye, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia have recorded particularly strong growth.
Travel patterns are also shifting. Instead of fast-paced, multi-country "checklist" tours, travelers are increasingly opting for in-depth exploration of a single country or carefully designed two-country itineraries.
Inbound tourism has rebounded in parallel. Bookings made with non-Chinese passports for domestic flights during the Spring Festival period have risen sharply, with Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Chongqing among the most popular destinations. As international connectivity improves, "spending Spring Festival in China" is emerging as a growing trend among foreign visitors.