Treasured moments: A couple poses for a photo with the backdrop of the financial district of Pudong, in Shanghai. There was a 180% growth in inbound ticket orders and over 60% growth in inbound hotel bookings over the holidays. — Reuters
SHANGHAI: Cross-border tourism has emerged as a driving force for the Spring Festival travel market in the Year of the Snake, thanks to expanded visa-free policies, say travel agencies and experts.
A Trip.com report revealed that overall cross-border travel orders increased by 30% compared to last year, with a staggering 180% growth in inbound ticket orders and over 60% growth in inbound hotel bookings.
Data from another travel portal Qunar showed that during the Spring Festival period, the number of non-Chinese passport holders booking domestic flights increased by 70% compared to last year, with more foreigners exploring second and third-tier cities.
This trend is further confirmed in a set of data released by Hainan Airlines. During the Spring Festival holiday period (Jan 28 to Feb 4), Hainan Airlines moved over 20,000 foreign passengers.
While many foreigners travelled to China, a significant number of Chinese people chose to celebrate the Chinese New Year overseas.
Data from Trip.com revealed that short-haul outbound trips to Japan doubled compared to last year’s Spring Festival.
Long-haul destinations like the United States, Spain, Italy and France also saw a surge in popularity, with increases of 53%, 82%, 56% and 50%, respectively.
Looking at bookings on Qunar, Chinese tourists’ footprints spanned over 2,100 overseas cities this Spring Festival, marking a 50% increase from last year.
Shanghai residents were truly global holidaymakers, with the highest number of outbound flight tickets purchased during the Spring Festival period among all Chinese cities, showing a 57% year-on-year increase.
Notably, as more countries offer visa exemptions and decrease in airfare and hotel prices for outbound travel, coupled with the increasing number of new flight routes, it means that more residents of smaller cities are able to more easily experience the joy of celebrating the Chinese New Year abroad.
“Residents of third-tier and below cities accounted for over 30% of the total outbound flight ticket purchases during the Spring Festival, more than doubling compared to last year,” said Xiao Peng, a researcher at Qunar.
“Cities with the highest growth rates include Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, Binzhou in Shandong province, Ordos in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and Yangjiang in Guangdong province, with their residents booking increasing more than twice on a year-on-year basis during Spring Festival.
“Overall, Thailand remains a top choice for many Chinese travellers during the Spring Festival,” said Cai Muzi, a researcher at Qunar’s big data research institute, citing its proximity, visa-free access, affordability and pleasant weather.
However, Japan’s popularity surged, overtaking Thailand as the most popular outbound destination during the Spring Festival this year.
As Chinese travellers become more experienced with outbound travel, their overseas travel methods have diversified.
Trip.com’s overseas platform showed a 42% increase in overseas car rental orders compared to last year, and a significant 20% growth in overseas chartered tours during Spring Festival.
The platform also saw a record high in overseas transfers to airport hauling service orders during the Spring Festival holiday, with a 58% year-on-year increase in transaction value.
Notably, Japan, South Korea and Thailand experienced even more significant growth during the Spring Festival, with Japan’s gross merchandise volume increasing by 120% compared to 2024. — China Daily/ANN
