China’s decision to give workers nine consecutive days off for the 2026 Spring Festival (February 7-15) is reshaping global flight and hotel demand. Tourism-platform data shared with the Global Times show airline seat searches up more than 60 per cent on 2025 levels, with Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai now ranking ahead of Tokyo and Osaka. Aviation tracker Flight Master calculates that departures to Thailand during the 40-day “Chunyun” travel rush will rise 48 per cent year-on-year, while bookings to Japan have plunged 43.7 per cent after months of diplomatic frictions over Taiwan.
Chinese carriers are scrambling to seize the opportunity. China Eastern alone will operate 2,800 extra international flights, opening new routes such as Shanghai–Phu Quoc and Hefei–Kuala Lumpur, and reinstating suspended links to Phuket and Bangkok. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) forecasts a record 95 million airline passenger journeys over Chunyun, a 5.3 per cent increase on 2025 despite already elevated baselines.
![Nine-day Spring Festival break to unleash record Chinese outbound travel; Thailand overtakes Japan as top pick]()
Against this backdrop, travellers faced with evolving entry rules across Asia can turn to VisaHQ for streamlined support. Via its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service offers real-time visa requirement checks, digital application tools and door-to-door passport logistics, helping both leisure and corporate clients secure documentation for Thailand, Malaysia, Japan or even visa-free transit through China without last-minute headaches.
For corporate mobility managers the implications are clear: obtaining premium-class seats to Southeast Asia will be far harder (and pricier) than in prior years, whereas Japan-bound capacity may come at a discount. Hotel operators in Phuket and Pattaya report that average daily rates for the holiday week are already 30-40 per cent higher than 2025. Conversely, Tokyo chains are offering promotions aimed at Chinese travellers that include airport transfers and WeChat Pay rebates.
Travel advisors recommend multinational companies bring forward critical staff travel to late January or postpone until late February, and remind employees that Chinese passport-holders can enjoy visa-free entry to Thailand (30 days) and Malaysia (30 days) under existing bilateral schemes. They also note that the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit through 65 Chinese ports allows foreign colleagues to piggy-back on China itineraries without additional paperwork.
Chinese carriers are scrambling to seize the opportunity. China Eastern alone will operate 2,800 extra international flights, opening new routes such as Shanghai–Phu Quoc and Hefei–Kuala Lumpur, and reinstating suspended links to Phuket and Bangkok. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) forecasts a record 95 million airline passenger journeys over Chunyun, a 5.3 per cent increase on 2025 despite already elevated baselines.
Against this backdrop, travellers faced with evolving entry rules across Asia can turn to VisaHQ for streamlined support. Via its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service offers real-time visa requirement checks, digital application tools and door-to-door passport logistics, helping both leisure and corporate clients secure documentation for Thailand, Malaysia, Japan or even visa-free transit through China without last-minute headaches.
For corporate mobility managers the implications are clear: obtaining premium-class seats to Southeast Asia will be far harder (and pricier) than in prior years, whereas Japan-bound capacity may come at a discount. Hotel operators in Phuket and Pattaya report that average daily rates for the holiday week are already 30-40 per cent higher than 2025. Conversely, Tokyo chains are offering promotions aimed at Chinese travellers that include airport transfers and WeChat Pay rebates.
Travel advisors recommend multinational companies bring forward critical staff travel to late January or postpone until late February, and remind employees that Chinese passport-holders can enjoy visa-free entry to Thailand (30 days) and Malaysia (30 days) under existing bilateral schemes. They also note that the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit through 65 Chinese ports allows foreign colleagues to piggy-back on China itineraries without additional paperwork.
