As the world ushered in the New Year, global tourism witnessed a festive surge, with the Christmas and New Year holiday period sparking an unprecedented travel rush.
China, a sought-after destination for international travelers, attracted crowds eager to explore its ancient heritage, modern marvels, and stunning landscapes—all made even more accessible thanks to the country’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy.
Meanwhile, China’s own citizens were on the move too, with outbound travel showing explosive growth, becoming a key driver of the tourism industry and a catalyst for broader economic development.
Chinese People Are on the Move
According to the National Immigration Administration, during the 2025 New Year’s holiday, China’s border inspection agencies facilitated 1.803 million inbound and outbound trips, marking a 13.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This includes 869,000 trips by Chinese mainland residents (up 11.1 percent), 749,000 by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents (up 12.8 percent), and 185,000 by foreign nationals (up 33.6 percent).
Although New Year’s Day is just a one-day holiday, many people extended it into a mini vacation by combining it with their annual leave or taking additional days off. Data from Fliggy, an online travel platform, shows that demand for high-end hotel bookings in China surged around the New Year holiday, with reservations in the past week increasing by over 40 percent compared to last year.
Popular domestic destinations included Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Nanjing, Xi’an, and Harbin. For outbound travel, top destinations were Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, the United States, Australia, Vietnam, France, and Singapore.
Fliggy’s report also highlighted that regions like Heilongjiang, Jilin, Xinjiang, and Hebei became particularly popular for “snow and ice tourism” during the New Year. Ticket sales for indoor snow and ice attractions in cities like Chengdu, Wuhan, Shaoxing, and Wuxi soared, with activities such as skiing and hot springs gaining widespread appeal. In contrast, southern destinations like Hainan, Guangxi, and Guangdong saw a rise in bookings for “winter escape” trips. Popular activities in these areas included surfing, night fishing, and scuba diving.
Outbound tourism maintained its robust growth from 2023. Fliggy’s data showed that by the early hours of January 1, 2025, outbound bookings had increased by nearly 70 percent year on year, with international car rental bookings also rising by over 70 percent. Among the most popular car rental destinations were the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
