With China’s 2026 Spring Festival public holiday stretching a full nine days (15–23 February), online platforms are already reporting record demand. Data released on 12 January by travel-tracker Flight Master and quoted in Beijing Youth Daily show more than three million flight tickets booked as of 9 January—20 % higher than the same lead-time last year.
Outbound travel is rebounding fastest: bookings are up 63 % year-on-year, with Seoul, Hong Kong and Bangkok ranking as the top three destinations. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney follow closely, indicating that families are willing to travel longer distances now that visa-processing times have normalised.
For travellers anxious about securing the necessary paperwork, online visa specialist VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its China-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers up-to-date entry requirements, digital application tools and real-time tracking, helping holiday-makers and corporate travellers alike avoid last-minute surprises.
![‘Longest ever’ nine-day Spring Festival drives 63 % surge in outbound air-ticket bookings]()
Domestically, tropical Haikou and Sanya top the growth charts, but colder-climate Harbin and Dali are also seeing double-digit expansion as tourists chase ice-and-snow experiences. Airlines have responded by filing 15 % more additional flights than last year, although slot constraints at Beijing Daxing and Shanghai Pudong mean some services will operate from secondary airports such as Shijiazhuang and Yancheng.
For employers the extended break presents planning challenges. Many factories will shut for a full fortnight, pushing forward shipping deadlines. HR teams with expatriate staff should update return-to-work buffers in case of weather or capacity disruptions. Mobility consultants recommend locking in tickets for essential business trips before 20 January, when dynamic pricing typically accelerates.
The Civil Aviation Administration has instructed carriers to publish contingency re-booking rules by 1 February and to ensure bilingual customer-service hotlines remain staffed throughout the holiday peak.
Outbound travel is rebounding fastest: bookings are up 63 % year-on-year, with Seoul, Hong Kong and Bangkok ranking as the top three destinations. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney follow closely, indicating that families are willing to travel longer distances now that visa-processing times have normalised.
For travellers anxious about securing the necessary paperwork, online visa specialist VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its China-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers up-to-date entry requirements, digital application tools and real-time tracking, helping holiday-makers and corporate travellers alike avoid last-minute surprises.
Domestically, tropical Haikou and Sanya top the growth charts, but colder-climate Harbin and Dali are also seeing double-digit expansion as tourists chase ice-and-snow experiences. Airlines have responded by filing 15 % more additional flights than last year, although slot constraints at Beijing Daxing and Shanghai Pudong mean some services will operate from secondary airports such as Shijiazhuang and Yancheng.
For employers the extended break presents planning challenges. Many factories will shut for a full fortnight, pushing forward shipping deadlines. HR teams with expatriate staff should update return-to-work buffers in case of weather or capacity disruptions. Mobility consultants recommend locking in tickets for essential business trips before 20 January, when dynamic pricing typically accelerates.
The Civil Aviation Administration has instructed carriers to publish contingency re-booking rules by 1 February and to ensure bilingual customer-service hotlines remain staffed throughout the holiday peak.
