The 2025 Chunyun Spring Festival travel rush officially ended on Saturday, with transport authorities reporting record numbers that point to a surge in travel activity and development trends in China's mobility landscape.
This year the demand for travel has been exceptionally high. An estimated nine billion journeys were made over the past 40 days, the highest number of passengers in history. Passenger numbers on rail and civil air transport have broken previous records. Maritime transport also reached new milestones with more than 500 million domestic journeys. This surge in travel highlights the growing mobility across China and the expanding reach of its transport networks.
Equally remarkable was the growth of new travel habits and trends. The extended eight-day holidays have triggered a sharp increase in domestic and foreign tourism. As the official holiday in China was extended by one day this year, more people had the opportunity to balance family gatherings with travel. Some of the people who shared their enthusiasm included Fang Ying from Lanzhou, Gansu Province: "A longer vacation allowed me to visit my family and go on a ski trip to Japan."
With the surge in travel, economic activity has also increased, reflecting China's dynamic economic growth. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the domestic tourism market recorded a year-on-year increase of 5.9 %, with 501 million domestic trips made during the eight-day holiday period from January 28 to February 4. Total domestic tourism spending reached 677 billion yuan (US$93.4 billion), a seven percent increase from the previous year and a 31.7 percent jump from 2019, underscoring the unrelenting vitality of China's tourism industry.
In addition to tourism, cultural experiences and traditional activities have also seen considerable interest. Thanks to the successful inclusion of the Spring Festival on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, visitors flocked to ancient architectural monuments, cultural festivals and exhibitions of local crafts. Well-known events such as puppet shows in Zhuangzhou, the Yingge dance in Shantou and the lantern festival in Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden have become must-see attractions for locals and visitors alike.
Entertainment industry booms during Spring Festival
The economic effect has been particularly pronounced in the entertainment industry, where the release of blockbusters such as "Ne Zha 2" has had a significant impact. By February 16, China's film market sales for 2025 films exceeded 20 billion yuan, setting a new record, the fastest milestone in Chinese cinema history. By February 21, the Chinese film market also overtook North America, temporarily ranking first in single-market sales in the world.
The surge in cinema revenues is driven by China's rapidly developing film technology, including improvements in special effects, 3D and IMAX formats. These innovations are improving the cinema-going experience and attracting more audiences. As Chinese consumers' incomes continue to rise, demand for quality films is expected to drive further growth in the industry, both domestically and internationally.
In addition to ticket sales, the influence of the film industry extends into the wider cultural and commercial sphere. The popularity of 'Ne Zha 2' has spurred a number of tourism initiatives, such as the 'Ne Zha One Day Cultural Tour' in the city of Jiangzhou in southwest China's Sichuan Province and immersive VR experiences in Jiangxi's scenic areas. Local businesses have also benefited from the film's success, offering themed experiences and merchandise, which in turn boosts the regional economy.
In addition, the entertainment industry, including films, documentaries and games, has a clear impact on promoting the popularity of tourist destinations. Last year, the success of the TV series "My Altay" sparked a tourism boom in Xinjiang's Altay region, while the game "Black Myth: Wukong" sparked interest in North China's Shanxi province.
This year, according to the data, the side effect of the film "Ne Zha 2" was particularly evident.
According to Tongcheng Travel, as a result of Valentine's Day from February 14 to 16, the volume of searches for hotels near cinemas across the country increased more than five times compared to previous weeks. In the Cuiping district of Yibin City, where Ne Zha movie-themed attractions such as Ne Zha Palace, Ne Zha Cultural Experience Hall and Ne Zha Happy World are located, the number of hotel bookings increased by more than 40 % compared to the previous period. Similarly, in Tianjin's Hexi District, where Ne Zha-themed attractions such as Chentang Village and Ne Zha Town are located, the number of hotel bookings increased by nearly 30 percent.
CMG/ gnews.cz - RoZ
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