Published: 17:33, February 4, 2025
Spring Festival sees 76% jump in international travel
By Shi Jing in Shanghai
Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, Feb 4, 2025. (PHOTO / XINHUA) 

Both domestic and outbound travel saw robust growth during Spring Festival, according to travel agencies and tourist attractions.

Data from Shanghai Springtour International Travel Agency (Group) Co Ltd showed that the number of outbound travelers spiked 76 percent year-on-year during this year's Spring Festival holiday, which started from Jan 28. The total number of travelers booking trip products from the agency jumped 30 percent from a year earlier.

Tourists watch a lion dance performance at the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, Jan 29, 2025. Tourists visited Chinatown to experience the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. (PHOTO / XINHUA) 

Japan ranked the top among all the overseas destinations. Apart from neighboring countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, more tourists have chosen to visit distant places like Spain, Australia, Hungary and New Zealand during the Chinese New Year, according to Springtour.

ALSO READ: CNY travel: 4.8 billion domestic trips estimated taken over Jan 14-Feb 2

Domestically, Shanghai remained the most popular destination, with Sanya, Shantou, Chongqing, Yancheng, Suzhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Kunming and Xiamen also attracting significant numbers of travelers, said Springtour.

People visit the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival at Yuyuan Garden in East China's Shanghai, Jan 1, 2025. (PHOTO / XINHUA) 

More and more people living in the Yangtze River Delta region chose to spend their Chinese New Year's Eve at hotels or resorts, with a nearly 50 percent increase in bookings for such packages. Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou and Kunshan were among the top choices for such travel packages.

READ MORE: Daily trips across China exceed 300m on day 4 of Spring Festival

International cruise trips also won more preference this year, as the number of such travelers hiked nearly 200 percent during Chinese New Year. The number of independent cruise travelers increased about 56 percent from a year earlier.

Inbound tourists arriving by cruise ship watch a lion dance performance in Shanghai, East China, Jan 8, 2025. (PHOTO / XINHUA) 

The middle-aged demographic, particularly those aged 30-49, made up 36.85 percent of all travelers during Spring Festival, while those aged between 60-69 accounted for 15.3 percent. Family trips were a prominent trend this year.

READ MORE: China railways carry more than 200m in Spring Festival rush

Haichang Ocean Park located in Shanghai also reported a 50 percent increase in ticket bookings, driven by a promotion for people born in the Year of the Snake. The park's new intangible cultural heritage night show received a peak passenger flow of 40,000 tourists on Jan 30, the second day of Chinese New Year.