Chinese tourists demonstrated a growing interest in travel during the 2025 Chinese New Year holiday, though per capita spending saw only a slight increase.
According to data from China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the 8-day Spring Festival holiday recorded 501 million domestic trips, a 5.9% year-on-year increase. Total tourism spending was RMB 677 billion (about USD 92.94 billion), up 7.0% year-on-year. However, per capita travel spending grew by just 1.04%, reflecting a cautious approach to holiday expenditures.
Trip.com’s "2025 Spring Festival Tourism Summary Report" revealed a 30% year-on-year increase in cross-border travel bookings. The top 10 outbound destinations included Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, the United States, Macau, and Vietnam.
Short-haul destinations saw significant growth, with Japan standing out - orders more than doubled from last year. Long-haul destinations also saw strong demand, with the United States, Spain, Italy, and France up by 53%, 82%, 56%, and 50% respectively.
China also welcomed a surge of inbound travelers eager to experience the Chinese New Year.
The top ten source markets for inbound visitors were South Korea, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Russia, Australia, and France.
Short-haul inbound travel from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand jumped 130% compared to the previous Spring Festival. Meanwhile, long-haul inbound travel from France, Spain, Italy, Canada, and Australia surged nearly 120% year-on-year.
The most popular destinations for inbound travelers were Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Zhuhai, Chengdu, Zhongshan, Harbin, Foshan, and Chongqing.
For visitors seeking cultural experiences, Shijiazhuang, Fuzhou, and Xi'an stood out, with inbound travel orders increasing 50%, 52%, and 97%, respectively.
Interest in traditional cultural events skyrocketed - on Trip.com's overseas platform, ticket sales for lantern festivals, temple fairs, and traditional operas increased by nearly 7.5 times compared to last year.
