Latest data from Meituan Travel reveals a 235% year-on-year surge in flight bookings during the Spring Festival holiday, highlighting strong market demand.

Search volumes for both New Year’s Day and Spring Festival holidays show parallel growth, with New Year’s flight searches up 167% and Spring Festival searches rising 156% year-on-year. Following the holiday schedule announcement, many travelers booked train tickets via Meituan, reflecting consumers’ early planning for extended vacations.

Domestically, the top 10 cities by travel search popularity during Spring Festival are: Shanghai, Harbin, Kunming, Beijing, Chengdu, Sanya, Shenzhen, Haikou, Guangzhou, and Changchun. Popular flight routes include Ningbo-Kunming, Shanghai-Chengdu, Shanghai-Harbin, Guangzhou-Beijing, Shanghai-Changchun, and Shenzhen-Xi’an. Notably, searches for routes from Shanghai to northeastern cities like Harbin and Changchun surged, indicating Shanghai as a key source of travelers heading north for the holiday. Meanwhile, warmer destinations such as Kunming, Chengdu, and Sanya emerged as top choices for southern getaways.