During the 2026 New Year's holiday, the national cultural and tourism market remained generally stable and orderly, with consumption vitality continuing to be released. On Jan. 4, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China released a report stating that, according to data from the Ministry's Data Center, during the 3-day New Year holiday, there were 142 million domestic tourist trips across the country, with total domestic tourism spending amounting to RMB 84.789 billion. Winter-themed tourism offerings were abundant, with strong demand for ice and snow tourism, winter escape tourism, and New Year's Eve travel. National-level night-time cultural and tourism consumption hubs attracted 42.718 million visitors. Short-distance travel became the mainstream, with high interest in local city leisure, nearby travel, and surrounding tours. Urban clusters and nearby counties and rural tourism were particularly favored, and micro-vacation products were in high demand.
This year's New Year holiday was extended by 2 days compared to 2025, and with a variety of cultural and tourism activities available, residents' desire to travel increased, helping to drive the market during the transition from the old year to the new year. Ice and snow tourism extended from the north to the south, with popular ski resorts in Harbin, Heilongjiang, Tonghua, Jilin, and Zhangjiakou, Hebei maintaining strong attendance. In Southern China, indoor skiing and other activities were tailored to meet market demands.
Snow tourism becomes popular and warm destinations welcomes guests
According to reports from Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporters, in Beijing and Zhangjiakou many ski resorts were bustling with activity. Tourists of all ages were enjoying the thrill and excitement of skiing. Ms. Lu, a resident of Beijing, drove three hours to Zhangjiakou on Jan. 1 to ski. "There are more slopes here, and the environment is better. I spent about RMB 800 for six hours of skiing during the New Year," she said. "This is the site of the Winter Olympics, and every year many visitors from across the country come to ski. I've met skiers from places like Shanghai, Guangdong, and even Hong Kong here."
The Fifth Happy Ice and Snow Season at the Summer Palace also kicked off during the New Year, offering more snow activities for visitors. The most notable feature was the large-scale snow tubing track, 32 meters long and 80 meters wide, with 46 parallel lanes that could accommodate 46 people at once. Additionally, a 50,000-square-meter ice surface stretched like a mirror, providing ample space for visitors to skate freely. On Jan. 3, many families with children were seen enjoying the ice and snow fun.
Warm-weather getaways were also highly popular. Data from the Qunar platform showed that the most popular cities based on hotel bookings included Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Xi'an. Among the top 20 cities for hotel bookings, Guangdong Province had four cities on the list. Warm weather combined with a variety of New Year activities attracted a large number of travelers.
In Hainan, tax-free shopping tourism saw a strong start. According to Haikou Customs, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 3, the total sales of tax-free goods reached 307,000 items, a year-on-year increase of 48.3%. The number of shoppers was 65,000, a 60.9% increase, while the shopping amount totaled RMB 505 million, up 121.5% from last year.
Local tourism becomes mainstream, young people innovative travel experiences
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, short-distance travel became the mainstream during the holiday, with high demand for local city leisure, nearby tourism, and surrounding trips. Young people became the main force in local and nearby tourism, and they are seeking deeper and more diverse experiences. "Climbing high to wish for the new year," "heading to snow-covered lands for the northern winter," and "celebrating the New Year in museums" were popular activities among this group. Data from Meituan Travel revealed that 45% of tourists were from the post-95 generation. Harbin Ice and Snow World was the most popular ice and snow destination, while Mount Laojun in Luoyang was a favorite destination for hiking.
The Ministry also noted that localities strengthened safety management and launched various New Year-related cultural and tourism activities during the holiday. Concerts, drone performances, and other events attracted a wide range of participation from citizens and tourists. The integration of cultural tourism products, including intangible cultural heritage, national trend markets, technology-based light shows, and immersive experiences, enhanced the quality of the visitor experience.
Additionally, many regions introduced measures such as cultural tourism vouchers, scenic area joint tickets, and discounts on admission fees to benefit the public. Scenic areas and transportation departments worked together to ensure safety and order. Some popular tourist spots implemented dynamic crowd control and anti-slip measures on icy paths. Cities like Beijing, Harbin, Jinan, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Fuzhou extended public transportation operating hours and optimized routes to tourist sites, ensuring that visitors could travel comfortably and securely.
6.615 million entries and exits as visa-free policies fuel two-way travel boom
Data released on Jan. 4 by China's National Immigration Administration show that during the 2026 New Year's Day holiday, mainland border inspection authorities facilitated a total of 6.615 million cross-border entries and exits by Chinese and foreign travelers, averaging 2.205 million per day, representing a year-on-year increase of 28.6%. Among them, travelers from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan accounted for 2.422 million trips, up 15.9% year on year, while foreign nationals made 828,000 trips, an increase of 29.8%.
Of the inbound foreign travelers, 292,000 entered China under visa-free policies, up 35.8% from the previous year, indicating that China's continuously optimized visa facilitation measures are steadily enhancing the country's attractiveness.
The data also show that the peak day for cross-border travel during the holiday fell on Jan. 1, when the number of entries and exits reached 2.265 million. Mainland residents accounted for 3.365 million cross-border trips during the holiday, up 39.1% year on year. In addition, border inspection authorities nationwide examined a total of 283,000 inbound and outbound transport vehicles—including aircraft, vessels, trains, and automobiles—during the holiday, representing an 11.4% increase.
Over 32% increase in Northbound HK and Macao vehicles as two-way cross-boundary travel accelerates
Cross-boundary travel through the Zhuhai–Hong Kong–Macao ports was particularly busy during the New Year holiday. According to figures released on Jan. 4 by the Zhuhai immigration inspection station, a total of 2.29 million passenger crossings were recorded over the three-day holiday, up 31% year on year. On Jan. 1 alone, passenger volume across ports under its jurisdiction reached 830,000, setting a new historical record.
With the full implementation of policies such as "Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles," "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles," and "Southbound Travel Scheme," cross-boundary self-driving travel in the Greater Bay Area has upgraded from "one-way empowerment" to "two-way connectivity." During the New Year holiday, the Zhuhai immigration inspection station inspected 114,000 inbound and outbound vehicles, of which approximately 33,400 were Hong Kong and Macao vehicles traveling north, marking a year-on-year increase of over 32%.
"During the New Year holiday, the rich lineup of New Year celebrations in Hong Kong and Macao sparked a surge in trips to the two regions, mainly family and group tours. At the same time, many Hong Kong and Macao residents took advantage of the holiday to travel north for leisure, creating a lively scene of 'two-way travel' across the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area," a responsible official from the Zhuhai immigration inspection station told Hong Kong Wen Wei Po.
(Source: Ta Kung Pao | Editor: Zara, Ian)
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