China’s Ministry of Transport (MoT) projects that 285 million passenger journeys will take place nationwide on Sunday 15 February, the opening day of this year’s record nine-day Spring Festival holiday. Road travel will account for roughly 269 million trips, with the balance split between rail (10.7 million), air (2.9 million) and waterways (440,000). The forecast represents a 10.5 percent increase over the comparable day in 2025 despite economic headwinds.
The surge reflects pent-up demand after three years of sporadic pandemic restrictions and is amplified by the 17 February Lunar New Year falling adjacent to two weekends, effectively giving many employers a full week off. National expressway tolls have been waived for passenger cars during the period, and State Railway Group has lengthened 120 high-speed trains to 16-car formations to boost seat capacity on Beijing–Guangzhou, Shanghai–Kunming and Chengdu–Xi’an corridors.
For international staff or visitors who still need to arrange or renew Chinese visas ahead of the peak travel window, VisaHQ’s online platform can expedite the process with clear, step-by-step guidance and real-time status tracking. Full details on visa types, document requirements and turnaround times are available at https://www.visahq.com/china/
![285 Million Domestic Trips Predicted on First Day of China’s Extended Spring Festival Break]()
Business implications are twofold. On one hand, companies with plants operating through the holiday must plan for worker absenteeism and potential delays in spare-parts deliveries. On the other, leisure-sector firms—hotels, ride-hailing platforms and duty-free retailers—expect bumper revenue. Alipay data show advance hotel bookings by domestic travellers up 42 percent year on year, and leading coach operator Yongda has sold out all premium-bus seats on the Shanghai–Huangshan route.
Travellers should brace for congestion at highway service areas and ticket shortages on popular rail lines. Foreign employees holding China’s A/B work permits can make use of bilingual self-service kiosks recently installed at 200 stations, but passports must still be scanned manually by staff for exit at the destination station. Airlines have advised passengers flying between Tier-1 cities to arrive three hours early; Shenzhen Bao’an Airport projects security-screening wait times of up to 45 minutes during evening peaks.
HR teams are advised to issue reminders on fatigue management for employees driving long distances and to verify that critical staff have confirmed return-to-work transport after the holiday ends on 25 February. Insurance providers note an uptick in roadside-assistance claims during the 2025 rush and expect a similar pattern this year.
The surge reflects pent-up demand after three years of sporadic pandemic restrictions and is amplified by the 17 February Lunar New Year falling adjacent to two weekends, effectively giving many employers a full week off. National expressway tolls have been waived for passenger cars during the period, and State Railway Group has lengthened 120 high-speed trains to 16-car formations to boost seat capacity on Beijing–Guangzhou, Shanghai–Kunming and Chengdu–Xi’an corridors.
For international staff or visitors who still need to arrange or renew Chinese visas ahead of the peak travel window, VisaHQ’s online platform can expedite the process with clear, step-by-step guidance and real-time status tracking. Full details on visa types, document requirements and turnaround times are available at https://www.visahq.com/china/
Business implications are twofold. On one hand, companies with plants operating through the holiday must plan for worker absenteeism and potential delays in spare-parts deliveries. On the other, leisure-sector firms—hotels, ride-hailing platforms and duty-free retailers—expect bumper revenue. Alipay data show advance hotel bookings by domestic travellers up 42 percent year on year, and leading coach operator Yongda has sold out all premium-bus seats on the Shanghai–Huangshan route.
Travellers should brace for congestion at highway service areas and ticket shortages on popular rail lines. Foreign employees holding China’s A/B work permits can make use of bilingual self-service kiosks recently installed at 200 stations, but passports must still be scanned manually by staff for exit at the destination station. Airlines have advised passengers flying between Tier-1 cities to arrive three hours early; Shenzhen Bao’an Airport projects security-screening wait times of up to 45 minutes during evening peaks.
HR teams are advised to issue reminders on fatigue management for employees driving long distances and to verify that critical staff have confirmed return-to-work transport after the holiday ends on 25 February. Insurance providers note an uptick in roadside-assistance claims during the 2025 rush and expect a similar pattern this year.
