China's nine-day Spring Festival holiday in 2026, the longest ever observed, has delivered a powerful boost to the nation's dual circulation economic strategy. Domestic tourism surged to 596 million trips during the holiday period, with spending reaching 803.5 billion yuan ($115.8 billion) – a 126.5 billion yuan ($18.4 billion) increase from 2025's eight-day holiday, according to Ministry of Culture and Tourism data released February 24.
Experiential consumption emerged as the holiday's economic engine, with ice-snow tourism in Heilongjiang's Harbin Ice-Snow World and tropical getaways in Hainan driving demand. The film market generated 5.75 billion yuan ($840 million) in box office revenue, while innovative 'movie + cultural tourism' models bridged entertainment and physical consumption.
Retail sales data revealed shifting consumer priorities, with green, smart, and health-related products seeing 10.6% daily sales growth compared to 2025. Trade-in policies benefited 28.88 million consumers, generating 198.02 billion yuan ($28.9 billion) in sales through February 19.
This year's holiday performance demonstrates the deepening integration of cultural consumption and real economic activity, positioning 2026 as a pivotal year for China's high-quality development through domestic demand stimulation and international engagement.
