Core Insights - The inbound tourism market in China experienced a strong start in 2026, driven by visa-free policies and the expansion of international flight routes, with 292,000 foreign visitors entering during the New Year holiday, a 35.8% increase compared to the previous year [1] Group 1: Inbound Tourism Growth - The number of foreign visitors utilizing visa-free policies reached 292,000 during the New Year holiday, marking a 35.8% year-on-year increase [1] - Online travel platforms reported that bookings for inbound experiential products surged over 30 times, with 97 domestic cities welcoming international tourists [3] - Harbin Ice and Snow World has received over 30,000 foreign visitors since its opening on December 17, 2025, with new direct flights to Southeast Asia enhancing connectivity [5] Group 2: Regional Highlights - In Jiangsu Suzhou, foreign tourists enjoyed local experiences such as boat rides and traditional performances, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese aesthetics [7] - Hainan's "duty-free shopping + beach vacation" model attracted international visitors, with over 31,000 inbound travelers during the holiday, a 23.5% increase from last year [8] - Chengdu saw over 22,000 foreign visitors during the New Year holiday, a 74.8% increase, with tourists engaging in local culinary experiences [10] Group 3: Industry Outlook - Experts indicate that China's inbound tourism is entering a phase of rapid growth and high-quality development, with policies like visa exemptions and tax refunds continuing to stimulate demand [12]

Group 1 - Domestic scenic spot ticket bookings have increased over four times year-on-year, with inbound travel-related bookings also seeing a significant rise, particularly experience-based leisure products which grew over 30 times [2] - The popularity of highland stargazing has surged, with unique destinations like Sichuan's Litang County attracting visitors for their clear night skies, leading to a notable increase in tourism during the New Year holiday [5][7] - The New Year holiday saw a 150% year-on-year increase in ticket bookings for mountain scenic spots, driven by the appeal of snow scenery and social media buzz [3] Group 2 - A new winter play area in Changchun, Jilin, has revitalized the ice and snow tourism market, featuring a park that spans 300,000 square meters and includes over 270 themed snow sculptures [10][12] - The park offers more than 50 interactive activities, including a city light off-road skiing track, making winter sports accessible to urban residents [14][16] - During the New Year holiday, Beijing's performing arts market flourished with over 800 offline performances, attracting more than 200,000 attendees and generating ticket sales exceeding 76 million yuan [17][21]

Group 1 - The domestic tourism market experienced a strong start to 2026, with online travel platforms reporting a more than fourfold increase in domestic scenic spot ticket bookings year-on-year, and inbound travel-related bookings also significantly rising, with experiential products seeing over a 30-fold increase [1] - The popularity of ritualistic consumption methods such as theme park fireworks shows, New Year's climbing, and countdown concerts surged, with lesser-known destinations like Anji, Qingyuan, and Yiwu attracting young customers through unique experiences [3] - The "New Year climbing" tradition was particularly popular this year, enhanced by snowy landscapes, leading to a more than 150% year-on-year increase in ticket bookings for mountain scenic spots [3] Group 2 - The high-altitude stargazing experience became a new trend, with the star observation point in Litang County, Sichuan, attracting visitors due to its ideal conditions for stargazing [3][5] - Major transportation projects, such as the "world's highest bridge" Huajiang Canyon Bridge, became new landmarks for tourism, receiving over 10,000 visitors on the first day of the holiday [7] - In Changchun, a riverside park was developed to enhance winter tourism, featuring over 270 themed snow sculptures and a 40-meter high snow castle, providing a comprehensive experience for visitors [9] Group 3 - The performing arts market in Beijing flourished during the New Year holiday, with over 800 offline performances catering to diverse audience needs, including an immersive drama that broke traditional boundaries between performers and the audience [11][13] - The holiday saw 839 commercial performances in Beijing, attracting over 200,000 attendees and generating ticket sales exceeding 76 million yuan [13]

Core Insights - The domestic tourism market in China has shown a strong start for the year, with significant increases in visitor numbers and spending during the New Year holiday period [1][2] Group 1: Domestic Tourism Performance - Online travel platforms reported that domestic scenic spot ticket bookings increased by over 400% year-on-year, while inbound travel-related bookings also saw a substantial rise, with experiential products for inbound tourism growing by over 3000% [1] - Shanghai welcomed over 6.82 million visitors during the New Year holiday, generating a total tourism consumption of 12.271 billion yuan [1] - Guangdong province received 17.875 million visitors, with an average daily increase of 34.8%, and achieved a tourism revenue of 9.98 billion yuan, reflecting a daily increase of 39.8% [2] - Jiangsu province's major scenic spots and cultural venues received over 19.43 million visitors, generating approximately 9.61 billion yuan in tourism consumption, with daily growth rates exceeding 15% [2] Group 2: Regional Highlights - Shanghai launched over 130 New Year-themed cultural and tourism activities, offering more than 120 travel products that integrate scenic spots, hotels, and rural homestays [1] - In Guangdong, 4A-level and above scenic spots attracted 5.561 million visitors, with a daily growth rate of 15.3% [2] - Jiangsu experienced a significant increase in cross-city and external visitors, with a daily year-on-year growth of 42.15%, contributing nearly 6.9 billion yuan to inter-regional tourism consumption [2]

Group 1 - The domestic tourism market in China experienced a strong start during the New Year holiday, with ticket bookings for domestic attractions increasing by over 4 times year-on-year [1] - In Shanghai, overall tourism order volume on New Year's Day rose by 30% year-on-year, with top attractions including Shanghai Disneyland, the Bund, Shanghai Museum, Oriental Pearl Tower, and Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park [1] - The inbound tourism market also showed robust growth, with ticket bookings increasing by 110% year-on-year and experiential product bookings rising over 30 times [4] Group 2 - The "post-00s" demographic accounted for the highest proportion of travelers at 39%, followed by the "post-90s" at 33%, indicating a shift towards self-indulgent travel experiences [2] - The trend of "cross-year travel" saw a 125% increase in related search volume, reflecting a growing preference among young people for proactive vacation planning and maximizing leisure experiences [2] - Popular self-driving travel destinations included Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Qingdao, Harbin, Shenyang, and Changsha, with strong demand for packages combining hotel stays and theme park tickets [2] Group 3 - Ice and snow tourism became a major trend during the New Year holiday, with approximately 40% of the top 20 domestic flight routes being related to ice and snow destinations [3] - In southern regions, Anji saw a 930% increase in tourism orders, while Shanghai's Yao Xue Ice World bookings grew over 5 times [3] - New and unique ice and snow activities gained popularity, such as ice fishing with ginger tea in Changbai Mountain and traditional fishing experiences in the forest [3] Group 4 - Popular inbound travel destinations included Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Harbin, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Kunming, and Xiamen, with major source countries being Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea [4] - After Hainan's customs closure, the "duty-free shopping + beach vacation" model attracted international tourists, with Sanya's inbound orders increasing by 170% and Wanning's orders growing nearly fourfold [4] - Emerging destinations like Li County, Heihe, Nanning, Yantai, and Foshan showed significant growth in inbound tourism, indicating a trend towards deeper and more differentiated travel preferences among international visitors [4]