Representative ImageChinese consumers demonstrated a robust enthusiasm for travel during the 2026 New Year holiday, transforming a three-day break into an eight-day adventure. This trend significantly boosted both domestic and outbound travel, according to Fliggy, an online travel platform under Alibaba Group. On 1 January, domestic hotel bookings surged by 280% year-over-year (YoY), whilst leisure product bookings increased by over 270% YoY. Additionally, average spending per person rose by more than 30% YoY.
Emerging destinations such as Qingyuan, Tongchuan, and Fushun attracted travellers with unique offerings like hot springs and winter scenery. Self-driving travel also gained popularity, with domestic car rental bookings increasing by over 120% YoY. Popular self-driving destinations included Chenzhou and Shangrao, as travellers sought flexible and scenic road trips.
Family and Gen Z travellers exhibited distinct preferences, with family trips increasing by over 80% and a preference for high-star hotels. Gen Z bookings rose by over 60%, driven by experiential activities such as aurora viewing and theme parks. Outbound travel also saw a strong recovery, with international car rental bookings increasing by over 210% YoY and chartered tour bookings growing more than tenfold YoY. Short-haul destinations like Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR were popular, whilst long-haul travel to Australia and the US also featured prominently.
Emerging international destinations such as Argentina and Oman recorded the fastest growth in travel product bookings, indicating a broadening interest in global exploration.
```
