Inbound tourism sees record growth during 2025 Spring Festival holidays

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By Liang Rui (Global Times) 11:08, February 06, 2025

Lin added that data from third-party platforms indicate that inbound arrivals during this year's Spring Festival leaped by 150 percent year on year, hitting a new high.

Data from the National Immigration Administration revealed that border inspection agencies across the country processed a total of 14.366 million entries and exits during this Spring Festival holidays, an increase of 6.3 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to the CCTV News on Wednesday. Among these, 958,000 were foreign visitors, reflecting a growth of 22.9 percent from the last Spring Festival.

Online travel platform Ctrip told the Global Times that inbound tourism ticket bookings surged by 180 percent compared to 2024, with hotel bookings also increasing by more than 60 percent.

According to a 2025 Spring Festival tourism summary report from Ctrip released on February 4, short-haul inbound tourism orders from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand grew by 130 percent compared to 2024's Spring Festival, while long-haul inbound tourism orders from France, Spain, Italy, Canada, and Australia increased by nearly 120 percent.

During the Spring Festival holidays, international visitors to China increasingly opted for "deep travel" experiences. CCTV reported that major cities remained key destinations for inbound tourism, while lesser-known destinations with vibrant festive atmospheres also attracted international tourists.

The most popular destinations for inbound tourists include Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Zhuhai. Spring Festival featured destinations, such as Shijiazhuang, Fuzhou, and Xi'an, experienced inbound bookings increases of 50 percent, 52 percent, and 97 percent, respectively, compared to 2024's Spring Festival, according to Ctrip.

The intangible cultural heritage projects during the Spring Festival also became a highlight of this year's wave of inbound tourism to China, showcasing the appeal of traditional culture in modern tourism. Ctrip told the Global Times that related ticket sales for lantern fairs, temple fairs, and traditional Chinese dramas on their overseas platform increased nearly 7.5 times compared to 2024.

Some foreign visitors shared their Spring Festival travel experiences on Xiaohongshu, capturing the attention of netizens. A French user expressed her amazement after visiting the lantern fair in Zigong, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, for the first time. A Turkish user also posted about her experience in the "Spring Festival travel rush." "My first time in sleeper class, my first time on a seven-hour train ride," she shared.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)