China's Extended Spring Festival Holiday Signals Record Travel Surge
Skift Take
China's extended Lunar New Year holiday is projected to drive a record-breaking travel season, presenting the travel industry a prime opportunity to leverage a peak period of heightened consumer activity.
This Lunar New Year, China is gearing up for an expected record-breaking 9 billion trips, a 7% jump from 2024. A key factor fueling the surge? The decision by the General Office of the State Council to extend the holiday from seven to eight days, now set for January 28 through February 4.
The longer eight-day holiday has encouraged many travelers to opt for “traveling for the New Year,” according to a poll done by the Ctrip travel agency and booking platform. Some 65% of respondents are choosing to spend the festival away from their hometowns—a 24% increase from the previous year.
The official Lunar New Year holiday, known as Spring Festival in China, begins on January 28. However, the Spring Festival “travel rush” spans a 40-day
