China’s travel activity rose sharply at the start of 2026, with passenger volumes climbing across railways, highways and airports on New Year’s Day, signaling a strong start to the holiday travel season.

According to the Ministry of Transport, cross-regional passenger trips exceeded 208 million on Jan. 1, up 21% from a year earlier. Railway journeys rose 65.1%, while road trips increased 18.1%. Civil aviation carried 1.95 million passengers, up 12.6%.

Travel volumes were already elevated on Dec. 31, when cross-regional trips surpassed 207 million, up 25.4% year on year.

Accommodation data showed a parallel rise in tourism demand. The online travel platform Tongcheng said domestic hotel bookings during the New Year period were more than triple last year’s level, driven by leisure travel, family visits and holiday events.

Regional travel patterns varied. In the southern island province of Hainan, self-driving trips increased, with car rental bookings in Haikou and Sanya rising 81% and 96% year on year, respectively, according to travel platform Qunar. Hotels reported higher occupancy across most cities and counties.

Winter tourism also picked up in northeastern China, where attractions such as Harbin’s ice and snow parks drew visitors. Searches for ski resorts rose 87% from a year earlier, with Gen Z travelers accounting for nearly half of winter activity bookings.

Outbound travel continued to recover, led by short-haul destinations. Tongcheng said Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were the most-booked overseas destinations for Jan. 1, with hotel bookings for Seoul more than tripling year on year. Interest in Turkey also rose after visa-free entry for Chinese passport holders took effect on Jan. 2.

Inbound travel also showed growth. Vietnam, Australia and the U.S. were among the top source markets, while Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou led as destinations. Haikou and Sanya recorded the fastest growth in inbound flight bookings on Jan. 1, with volumes rising more than threefold and fivefold, respectively.

(Header image: Visitors at the Harbin Ice and Snow World, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, Dec. 31, 2025. VCG)