Chinese travelers, shoppers out in full force this CNY

What happened Chinese consumers are getting their mojo back during this Lunar New Year holiday. According to newly released data from the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 501 million domestic trips were made over the eight-day festival period, reflecting a 5.9% YoY increase and a 20.7% jump from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Domestic tourism spending reached 677 billion RMB ($92.9 billion), up by 7% YoY and by 31.7% compared to 2019 levels. Per capita expenditure rose by 9% compared to pre-pandemic levels. These figures were driven by a renewed interest in traditional Chinese culture, small-town tourism, and a growing preference for experiential travel. The Jing Take 2025 marks the first Chinese New Year since UNESCO added the festival’s customs to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024, highlighting its cultural significance. Cities and towns brimming with folk arts and customs have been gaining traction, especially among younger generations — the driving force of holiday travel. Meanwhile, the post-80s generation led in tourism spending, accounting for half of all Spring Festival trips, according to Tuniu, a Nasdaq-listed leisure travel company in China. In addition to embracing multigenerational journeys with their children and parents, post-80s travelers tend to embark on longer trips to explore local culture and heritage. With the average accommodation length increasing by 5% YoY, they are seeking more immersive, off-the-beaten-path cultural experiences. According to Fliggy, a travel platform under Alibaba, the popularity of “intangible cultural heritage tourism” surged by 40% YoY during the holiday season. On Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, the hashtag “Chinese New Year in intangible culture” (#非遗里的中国年) has garnered 3.3 million views at the time of writing. Searches for “lantern festivals in the Year of the Snake” (蛇年春节灯会) have doubled on Ctrip. For example, Xinzhou, a Tier-5 city in north China’s Shanxi province, saw a whopping 82% YoY surge in hotel bookings after the hit game Black Myth: Wukong made it a household name. “Cultures that carry historical memories while integrating into modern life will definitely thrive with the growing interest and engagement of young people,” Dai Bin, director of the China Tourism Academy, commented to the media on this phenomenon. As tourists from big cities flocked to small, niche destinations as part of China’s “reverse travel” trend, small-town residents hit the road. During the holiday, rural residents made 123 million trips, up 7.9% YoY, accounting for 24.6% of all domestic tourists. The willingness of lower-income households to travel during Chinese New Year reflects a rebound in consumer confidence in China’s post-pandemic economy, along with a shift in preferences from spending on goods to investing in experiences. Another indicator of uplifted consumer confidence was the growth in retail sales, particularly online. Sales revenue for key retail and catering businesses rose by 4.1% while online retail sales grew 5.8% during the holiday, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce. The resilience of e-commerce sales was one of the standout trends during this year's Spring Festival because it “defied the usual holiday slowdown,” according to Jacob Cooke, CEO and founder of Beijing-based e-commerce solutions platform WPIC. “One of the standout trends we observed during this year’s Spring Festival was the resilience of e-commerce sales, which defied the usual holiday slowdown. Pre-pandemic, we would see a dip in online sales during the holiday,” he said. This shift reflects a few key changes in China’s consumer landscape. “Brands and platforms have become more strategic with inventory management and fulfillment, ensuring smooth operations even during the holiday rush when many logistics workers are on leave,” Cooke explains. Brands also leveraged CNY-themed promotions, red envelope campaigns, and influencers promoting limited-time offers to sustain momentum. “Finally, there’s been a fundamental shift in consumer behavior — people are now accustomed to shopping online consistently throughout the year, rather than concentrating their purchases around traditional peak events like 11.11 or 6.18,” he adds. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Chinese travelers, shoppers out in full force this CNY

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Published February 07, 2025

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Chinese travelers, shoppers out in full force this CNY