The holiday dividend from the 9-day consecutive Spring Festival break in 2026 continues to be released, amplified by the expansion of visa-free policies for Chinese citizens in countries like Russia and the Philippines, alongside the evolution of consumer groups from superficial sightseeing to deep experiential travel. These multiple positive factors are driving a simultaneous upgrade on both the supply and demand sides of the tourism market. Since the beginning of the year, the domestic cultural and tourism consumption market has shown an accelerated recovery trend, with a significant increase in public willingness to participate in cultural activities and travel. Concentrated release of consumption demand has become an important force in stimulating domestic demand. According to calculations by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Data Center, during the 3-day New Year's Day holiday, there were 142 million domestic tourist trips nationwide, with total domestic tourism spending reaching 84.789 billion yuan, setting a positive tone for the year's cultural and tourism consumption. This momentum has seamlessly continued into the Spring Festival holiday, with both outbound and domestic travel currently showing a two-way growth trend. Destination choices are becoming more diverse, and consumption demand is further tilting towards deep experiences and scenario-based services. Data from Fliggy shows that mid-holiday travel service bookings for the Spring Festival period increased by over 30% year-on-year, with the third day of the Lunar New Year becoming the peak travel day, witnessing a booking surge of over 40% compared to last year. Bookings for high-star hotels saw a dramatic increase of nearly 70% year-on-year, underscoring the robust resilience of cultural and tourism consumption at the start of the year. Tourism companies are precisely targeting market changes. Entities such as Utour, Shangri-La, and Shanghai Disney Resort are meeting demand through innovations in themed, personalized products like small-group in-depth tours, cultural theme packages, and customized activities for the Year of the Horse, forming a virtuous cycle where "trends guide supply, and supply adapts to demand." Data from platforms like Tongcheng Travel, Qunar, and Tujia, along with corporate updates, indicate that this year's Spring Festival tourism market is characterized by an earlier peak passenger flow, significant destination differentiation, and a dual emphasis on quality consumption and cultural consumption. The travel market landscape is being reshaped: passenger flow peaks are occurring earlier, with significant growth in both domestic and international travel. Under the influence of multiple favorable factors, the extended holiday has greatly unleashed public travel意愿. The peak period for Spring Festival travel has emerged earlier than usual, with student flows overlapping with migrant worker and tourist flows, creating multiple waves of travel enthusiasm. Bookings for both domestic and international destinations have shown significant growth. From the performance of transportation bookings, the Spring Festival travel peak has shifted forward and is highly concentrated, with both railway and air booking热度 climbing simultaneously. On January 19th, tickets for the first day of the 2026 Spring Festival travel period (departing February 2nd) officially went on sale, with紧张程度 for popular routes rising significantly. Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that by 10 a.m. that day, some trains from Beijing to directions like Changchun and Shenyang were already sold out. Air ticket booking热度 continued to rise, with domestic airfare averages gradually increasing after February 2nd and expected to peak around February 14th. In terms of passenger flow structure, universities across the country began their winter vacations from mid-January, with the peak student返乡客流 lasting until the first week of February, overlapping with migrant worker返乡客流 to form the first wave of the Spring Festival travel peak. Data from Qunar further confirms the pulling effect of the student flow: from January 12th to 19th, air ticket bookings from passengers aged 18-22 increased by nearly 30% month-on-month, accounting for over 21% of the total. After primary and secondary schools concentrated their holidays around January 24th, air ticket bookings for children and adolescents aged 0-17 on the 24th and 25th doubled month-on-month, driving an overall passenger flow increase of another 20%. While the passenger flow peak arrived early and the structure diversified, the geographical distribution of popular departure and destination cities also showed distinct patterns, with "heading west" becoming a mainstream trend for domestic flights. Tongcheng Travel data indicates that the top ten departure cities for search and booking热度 on the first day of Spring Festival ticket sales were Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Beijing, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Changsha, mostly densely populated cities and transportation hubs. Popular domestic flight routes were concentrated from eastern coastal cities to southwestern regions, with routes like Hangzhou-Kunming, Shanghai-Chengdu, and Nanjing-Kunming ranking in the top ten, making Kunming, Chongqing, and Chengdu core destinations. This trend reflects both the demand for returning home and the attractiveness of southwestern China's winter tourism resources. A负责人 from Tongcheng Research Institute pointed out that based on data from the past three years, the 22nd day of the 12th lunar month (February 9th) and the 6th day of the first lunar month (February 22nd) will be the two most密集 travel periods, with corresponding train ticket sale start dates on January 26th and February 8th, respectively. Ticket purchasing紧张程度 is expected to be higher during these times. Notably, Valentine's Day on February 14th coincides with the last working day before the Spring Festival holiday. Combined with the demand for拼接假期, search热度 for air tickets on that day was 65% higher than the previous day. Searches for overnight train tickets and airport周边钟点房 increased by 70% and over 2 times, respectively, forming a pre-holiday peak for拼接假期返程. While the domestic travel market continues to heat up, inbound and outbound tourism are also showing a positive trend of two-way prosperity, supported by both policy红利 and the超长假期. Chinese tourists show strong outbound意愿. Qunar data shows that from the winter vacation through the Spring Festival period, Chinese tourists have booked hotels in over 3,000 cities worldwide, an increase of 125 cities compared to last year. Asian destinations remain the core, with Thailand, South Korea, and Malaysia ranking in the top three for hotel bookings. The newly visa-free country Turkey performed remarkably well, with hotel bookings growing 2.3 times year-on-year. Countries like Uzbekistan and Qatar also saw booking growth rates exceeding 100%. University students have become the main force for outbound travel, with users aged 18-22 accounting for nearly one-fifth of international air ticket bookings. Among them, the group purchasing their "first-ever outbound air ticket" increased by 50% year-on-year. Meanwhile, inbound tourism热度 has significantly improved. During the Spring Festival, the number of domestic flight bookings made using non-Chinese passports increased by over 20% year-on-year. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Harbin are popular inbound destinations. Looking at source markets, bookings from Argentine tourists increased 9-fold year-on-year, while bookings from tourists in European countries like the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK all doubled. Cities like Lanzhou and Hohhot saw inbound tourist increases exceeding 400%, demonstrating the appeal of Chinese Spring Festival culture to global tourists. Booking data from Utour further corroborates this two-way growth trend for both domestic and international travel: the number of travelers on long-haul outbound tours increased by 60% year-on-year, short-haul destinations saw a 160% increase, and the number of domestic travelers surged by 300%. For European long-haul tours, bookings for destinations like France-Switzerland-Italy, the UK, and Spain-Portugal climbed, with traveler numbers up 90% year-on-year. Domestically, Xinjiang, Jilin, Yunnan, Fujian, and Hainan became the five most popular destinations, with product richness increasing by 30% compared to last year. Consumption scenes are upgrading: quality demand stands out, and niche markets flourish in multiple areas. The two-way volume growth and structural optimization of the travel market have further激活 the cultural and tourism consumption market at the beginning of the year. Public enthusiasm for travel and demand for cultural experiences have risen simultaneously, continuously释放 domestic consumption potential. Tourism consumption is transitioning from "superficial sightseeing" to "deep experiences." Niche markets such as homestays, theme parks, and high-end hotels are innovating supply around cultural scenes. Intangible cultural heritage experiences, folk互动, and Year of the Horse themed activities have become consumption hotspots. "New Year atmosphere + experience" and "small groups + quality" have become core consumption trends, highlighting the strong resilience of the domestic consumption market. Driven by the quality consumption trend, the homestay market presents a "one north, one south" pattern, with旅居需求 and family-oriented characteristics being particularly prominent. Tujia data shows that the top ten cities for homestay bookings during the winter vacation were Harbin, Sanya, Beijing, Dali, Xishuangbanna, etc., with heading north for ice and snow and heading south for warm避寒度假 becoming the two mainstream choices. Family groups with children are the core consumer segment, with the 30-45 age group accounting for over 44% of bookings, and 80% of these orders including children, driving demand for larger homestay units. Bookings for standalone villas increased by 77% year-on-year, while bookings for 4-bedroom/4-bed and 3-bedroom/3-bed room types grew by 84% and 72%, respectively. The超长寒假 has催生 a旅居热潮. Orders for stays of 7 days or more increased by 35% year-on-year, with an average stay duration exceeding 12 days and an average advance booking period of 60 days. Cities with suitable climates and mature amenities like Sanya, Xishuangbanna, and Beihai became the top choices for旅居. Bookings for standalone villas for旅居 increased by 98% year-on-year, reflecting the upgraded demand of family tourists for living quality and privacy. The prominence of family-oriented旅居需求 has also pushed theme parks to refine their offerings around the Spring Festival场景, deeply integrating the Year of the Horse zodiac element with traditional cultural experiences. The Shanghai Legoland Resort launched its first Spring Festival theme activity from January 28th to March 3rd, featuring a 175-cm tall "God of Wealth"装置 built with 100,000 Lego bricks. A "Welcoming the God of Wealth" activity was held on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, alongside interactive projects like a Year of the Horse themed puzzle collection and giant firecracker brick building, with super early bird tickets and "New Year Family Portrait" packages launched. Concurrently, the Shanghai Disney Resort launched its Year of the Horse Spring Festival activities. The "Little Red Horse" from the Toy Story series made its debut,化身 as the zodiac symbol participating in the daily "New Year Drum Ceremony." The Garden of the Twelve Friends was refreshed into a "Wishing Garden," with the Little Red Horse joining the zodiac mural. Park decorations incorporated Year of the Horse elements, with Mickey and friends changing into Chinese-style attire featuring horse patterns and gold ingot motifs. A golden dragon parade was held from the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year. The nighttime show "A Spring Festival Celebration: Your Home of Belonging," running from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival, will feature a "horse" character-shaped firework display. The resort also launched multiple Spring Festival packages and limited-edition merchandise. Two types of "Spring Festival Family One-Day Passes" include park tickets, Premier Access, and dining vouchers. Year of the Horse themed merchandise covers plush toys, home decorations, and other categories. DisneyTown will also host a Spring Festival market and folk performances, extending the consumption场景. Beyond theme parks, high-end hotels are leveraging their own场景 advantages, empowering the Spring Festival experience with art and driving dual innovation in dining and accommodation scenes. The Shangri-La Group,围绕 the theme "Fortune Turns to Welcome Spring, Steeds Herald a New Journey," collaborated with artist Chen Fenwan to create Year of the Horse paper-cut art installations. "Revolving Lanterns" were set up in hotels in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other cities, alongside workshops for making Year of the Horse window flowers and enamel coloring. On the餐饮 front, New Year's Eve dinners and Spring Festival afternoon teas incorporating Year of the Horse elements were launched. Hotels in Shanghai Pudong, Sanya, etc., held "Food Brings Fortune" Lo Hei ceremonies. Michelin-starred restaurants in Nanjing, Yangzhou, Fuzhou, etc., offered customized reunion menus, with limited-edition dishes like Ding Sheng Gao (auspicious cake) and Eight-Treasure Gourd Duck combining flavor and symbolism. On the retail端, limited-edition New Year gift sets like the "Golden Jun Mei New Year Cake Selection Gift Box" and "Success Upon Arrival" Golden Jun Mei small canister tea were launched, combining artistic design with festive blessings. "Welcome Good Fortune Spring Festival Two-Night Packages" were also introduced, achieving deep integration of "stay + play + appreciate + dine." Behind the innovation in various consumption scenes, the trend towards small groups and in-depth travel continues to strengthen, and the expansion of cultural consumption scenes further助推 the release of domestic demand. Utour data shows that small groups of 20 people or less account for 50% of total product bookings, with 6-person small groups dominating the Southeast Asian market due to their flexibility and privacy advantages. In-depth travel products for long-haul destinations have been iteratively upgraded. Utour's "Premium Selection" series for Spain and Portugal upgraded accommodations to include downtown five-star hotels, castle hotels, and manor hotels. Product richness for destinations like Australia, Spain, and Portugal has significantly improved. Domestically, intangible cultural heritage experiences have become a new growth point for consumption. Qunar data shows that hotel bookings in intangible cultural heritage small towns like Huangshan in Anhui, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, and Quanzhou in Fujian doubled year-on-year, with Huangshan increasing by 1.7 times, and Jingdezhen and Quanzhou doubling. Intangible cultural heritage projects like the Zigong Lantern Festival, Quanzhou hairpin flowers, Jingdezhen porcelain making, and Foshan lion dance have become important carriers for the public to experience traditional culture and participate in cultural activities, driving火热 bookings for theme park and museum tickets. Ticket bookings for scenic spots from middle school students aged 13-18 increased 11-fold year-on-year. Shanghai Disney Resort, Beijing Universal Resort, the Palace Museum, and the Shaanxi History Museum became popular choices. The deep integration of culture and tourism continues to激活 consumption vitality. An analyst from Qunar Research Institute stated, "Judging from the overall market performance, the historically long Spring Festival holiday has not only driven the growth of tourism consumption scale but has also promoted the optimization of the industry structure towards 'cultural and tourism integration.' The热潮 of public participation in cultural activities and travel at the beginning of the year is a vivid缩影 of the concentrated release of domestic consumption demand. Policy红利, shifts in consumption concepts, and destination supply innovation have combined to transform the Spring Festival tourism market from a singular focus on family reunion and returning home to a diversified pattern of 'reunion + experience' and 'domestic + outbound.' For tourism enterprises, deeply cultivating cultural connotation, optimizing product quality, and accurately matching细分需求 will be the core directions for seizing market opportunities. With the continuous enrichment of consumption scenes, the Spring Festival tourism market is expected to持续释放 growth potential."