Tourists enjoy themselves at the Harbin Ice & Snow World on December 23, 2024, in Harbin, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. The world’s largest ice and snow theme park opened on Saturday, marking the beginning of the peak ice and snow tourism season in Heilongjiang. Photo: VCG

As the New Year's Day approaches, there has been a notable surge in Chinese consumers' interest in travel, with some online travel platforms on Monday reporting an increase in orders for trips, hotels and flights and expecting a holiday tourism boom.

This trend is boosted by vibrant cultural events and the availability of consumer vouchers in various localities. In particular, exciting new activities related to the ice and snow economy are encouraging spending.

Zhou Weihong, a deputy general manager of Shanghai Spring Tour, told the Global Times on Monday that despite initial concerns about sales pressure due to the fact that the New Year's Day falls on a Wednesday with only a single day off, young consumers have shown a preference for extending their trips to include the days before and after the holiday.

"As of now, bookings that include the date of January 1, 2025, have surpassed those from the previous New Year's Day, with bookings for domestic tourism trips increasing by nearly 30 percent year-on-year," Zhou said, adding that the New Year's Day, winter vacation, and Spring Festival periods are crucial for promoting cultural and tourism consumption. 

A peak in travel bookings was observed around December 28, with a preference for long-distance domestic tours, according to Shanghai Spring Tour.

Li Huijie, a resident of Shanghai, told the Global Times on Monday that she is taking her parents to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, as well as Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province, for a six-day trip that combines the year-end annual leave, weekends, and the New Year's Day holiday. 

The demand for long-distance travel during the New Year's holiday has led to a significant increase in ticket prices for popular destinations, according to data sent by Tongcheng Travel to the Global Times on Monday.

The average price of domestic flights between December 27 and January 1 has risen by over 20 percent compared to regular days. Specifically, the average ticket price for flights from major southern cities to Harbin, a renowned top ice and snow tourism destination in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has surged by almost 20 percent compared to the same period last year, according to Tongcheng.

Tongcheng Travel also reported a notable increase in hotel bookings and nighttime tourism activities in places such as Chongqing, Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Changsha in Central China's Hunan Province, and Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province, as people prepare to celebrate the New Year.

Meanwhile, Chinese tourists are opting for high-quality travel experiences for the New Year's Day holiday, according to a report sent by Fliggy to the Global Times on Monday. For instance, bookings for high-end hotel brands directly operated by Fliggy increased by over 30 percent year-on-year. Outbound travel booking volumes surged by more than 80 percent year-on-year, based on a high base, according to Fliggy. 

There has also been a significant increase in bookings for international hotels and air tickets on the platform. International car rental bookings also saw a rise of over 40 percent year-on-year, the platform said.

The upcoming New Year holiday will usher in a peak of inbound and outbound passenger flow in border ports across China, with the daily average of passenger trips reaching 2.05 million, an 18.8-percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to a forecast issued by the National Immigration Administration on Saturday.

Notably, year-end and New Year consumer promotions are gaining momentum as various localities across China ramp up efforts to stimulate consumer spending through a range of vibrant promotional activities. 

During the 2025 New Year and Spring Festival period, the cultural and tourism departments of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region are organizing a series of traditional fairs showcasing local time-honored brands, intangible cultural heritage products, and traditional festive goods. In South China's Hainan, over 300 diverse tourism and cultural events will be held to promote consumption upgrades and cater to holiday travel demand, according to Xinhua.

Winter tourism has also been a highlight. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said at a press conference on Monday that it is encouraging and guiding local governments and platforms to implement promotional measures to stimulate winter tourism. For example, Yanqing District in Beijing will distribute 2 million yuan ($274,000) in winter tourism vouchers through travel platforms. Meanwhile, Jilin Province in Northeast China is collaborating with China UnionPay to issue 30 million yuan in winter tourism consumption vouchers, according to the ministry.

Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine under the China Association for Science and Technology, told the Global Times on Monday that with the support of various policies, New Year travel momentum, along with year-end shopping promotions, is expected to lay a solid foundation for consumption growth throughout 2025.

"It is expected that the strength of consumer policies will be further enhanced next year. As China's economy undergoes transformation and upgrading, consumption will play an increasingly important role in this process. There may be more robust policies to further stimulate consumption and promote comprehensive growth in consumer spending across the nation," Bian said.

The focus of macroeconomic policy is expected to place a stronger emphasis on consumption, Wu Chaoming, chief economist at Chasing Financial, told the Global Times on Monday.

Wu said that in 2025, the scale of ultra-long special government bonds used to support large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins will increase and the scope of support is expected to expand from home appliances and automobiles to include consumer electronics and services.

Outlining a number of key tasks for 2025, the Central Economic Work Conference urged efforts to vigorously boost consumption, improve investment efficiency, and expand domestic demand on all fronts. 

The large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs should be promoted with greater intensity and scope, and active efforts should be made to develop debut economy, ice and snow economy and silver economy, according to the meeting.

In the first three quarters of 2024, consumption contributed 49.9 percent of the country's economic growth, substantially surpassing investment and exports, which accounted for 26.3 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively. In the first 11 months, retail sales of consumer goods totaled nearly 44.3 trillion yuan, up 3.5 percent year on year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday that future policies may focus on providing targeted support and subsidies for products and services that align with consumer interests, which could help boost the economic recovery. 

"We may witness the rise of new consumption patterns, such as a growing interest in health-related products and trade-in programs for high-tech items," Cao noted.