China's 2024 New Year travel trend: Home First, Travel Next

During China's 2024 Spring Festival holiday, from February 10 to 17, a new trend emerged: individuals alternated between family reunions and travel adventures.

Thus, the "Home First, Travel Next" approach quickly caught on as a preferred way to enjoy the holiday spirit and explore new destinations.

Travel platform Ctrip.com data showed yearly increases for the first day of the Spring Festival in China, which far surpassed 2019 figures. Travel bookings more than doubled, ticket bookings rocketed over three folds, and domestic airport transfers grew 75 percent.

Between the second and fourth day of the holiday, flight bookings increased by 60 percent compared to last year, peaking on the second day, according to travel booking platform Qunar. The top destinations for domestic travelers include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Data also showed that in 2024, cross-border travel hit record highs. For Chinese travelers, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore became the top choices, thanks to visa-free agreements. 

Similarly, there was a notable uptick in tourists visiting China from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, and Singapore, who are now able to enter the country without a visa. Visitor numbers on the first day of Spring Festival were up by 90 percent compared to 2019.