Chinese overseas travel hits record during extended Lunar New Year holiday – but not to Japan

Chinese visitors are poised for a important summation successful overseas recreation during nan upcoming extended Lunar New Year break, pinch celebrated destinations including Russia, Australia, Thailand, and South Korea, according to recreation agencies. Notably, Japan appears to person mislaid immoderate of its entreaty among holidaymakers.

Known arsenic nan Spring Festival, this year's ceremony marks 1 of China's longest holidays, moving for 9 days from 15 February – a time longer than accustomed – to usher successful nan Year of nan Horse. Millions traditionally travel location for family reunions during this period, a civilization that typically boosts spending crossed shops, cinemas, and restaurants arsenic families observe nationwide and internationally.

China expects a record 9.5 billion rider trips during nan accompanying 40‑day recreation rush, up from 9.02 cardinal past year, arsenic officials dream this year's longer arena spurs much holidaymakers to make home visits aliases task abroad.

"Thailand has returned to being nan apical outbound destination acknowledgment to its weather, erstwhile astir parts of China stay cold," said Zhou Weihong, of Shanghai‑based Spring Tour, nan recreation portion of fund bearer Spring Airlines 601021.SS.

Amid an uncertain economical outlook, galore look to beryllium hoping to time off their troubles behind, nevertheless briefly. A prolonged spot downturn has eroded family wealth, while uneven maturation aft nan COVID-19 pandemic, has fuelled occupation insecurity.

Studies show Chinese consumers are prioritising spending connected experiences, pinch consultants McKinsey's saying successful an August marketplace update, "Consumers look to person softly moved connected ... highlighting deeper shifts successful really China consumes."

Domestic leisure request this twelvemonth is besides divided betwixt lukewarm and snowy destinations, pinch trips to nan tropical land of Hainan and northeastern Changbai Mountain popular, added Zhou, a lawman wide head astatine Spring Tour.

Bookings to Russia connected its level person much than doubled from past year, arsenic person trips to bluish Europe.

"For nan remainder of nan year, we'll astir apt spot accrued Chinese recreation to Russia," said Sienna Parulis‑Cook, trading and communications head of Dragon Trail Research.

She attributed its popularity, rising disconnected a debased base, to Moscow’s December move to waive visas for visitors from China.

China’s largest recreation booking site, Trip.com Group 9961.HK, said a rebound successful long‑haul recreation has driven up visitors to Australia by much than 100% complete nan year-earlier period.

Seat capacity connected world flights during nan vacation period, some inbound and outbound, has risen 9% connected nan year, aviation intelligence patient IBA said.

"The world marketplace is playing an progressively important domiciled successful Spring Festival travel," it said successful a study up of nan break, adding that disposable spot kilometers connected world flights now dress up astir half of full capacity.

But for different destinations, nan image is not each rosy.

Simmering governmental tension pinch Japan has eroded its entreaty for Chinese visitors, who usually made it a apical choice.

Flight information for 2026 shows recreation to Japan has dropped sharply amid nan strained ties and China's information warnings to its travellers, prompting airlines to broaden refund and alteration policies for Japan routes.

In nan week starting connected February 2, flights betwixt China and Japan were down 49.2% from a twelvemonth earlier, said recreation information supplier Flight Master.

And each flights person been cancelled connected 58 routes that operated during past year's Spring Festival, erstwhile Trip.com classed Japan among nan astir celebrated overseas destinations, alongside Thailand and different location markets.