China’s Year of the Horse Spring Festival Boosts Inbound Tourism: What New Updates You Need to Know

The Chinese Spring Festival Year of the Horse is attracting international visitors like no other before. The captivating fusion of the ultramodern with the timelessly ancient makes the Spring Festival, occurring this year on February 17, 2024, an international celebration. In the weeks preceding the Festival, international flight bookings increased by more than 400% compared to last year. The increase in international bookings demonstrates the world’s increasing demand to experience Chinese culture.

Increase of International Travel During Spring Festival

The Spring Festival is an annual celebration that has been primarily domestic. However, the celebration now has enough global interest to make it an international celebration. Travel websites are reporting unprecedented international bookings, with visitors traveling to all corners of the country to attend the Festival. Travel restrictions have also been recently lifted for 48 countries, increasing international travelers to China. Additionally, in the last two weeks, the list of countries that have reciprocal visa travel restrictions has increased to 29.

Tourists are becoming more interested in visiting places other than the typical hotspots. While Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou are still popular, places like Lanzhou in Gansu Province and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia are experiencing tourism growth of four times. With new locations to visit, the expanding map of “China Chic” allows travelers to connect with authentic traditions of China and discover new cultural experiences.

A New Generation of Travelers: Experience Over Sightseeing

Inbound tourism figures suggest a substantial increase in younger travelers. This demographic has distanced itself from the sheer act of observing and is prioritizing cultural immersion. The younger travelers are more attracted to places with ethnic diversity and want to be a part of the local community. Many seek to engage with the daily life of the Chinese people, whether at bustling street markets or modern techno museums. This shift in preference is evident in the spending habits of the tourists, prioritizing experiences and activities.

Consider Hainan Province. Shopping became part of international visitors’ plans when the Hainan Free Trade Port and special customs operations began. Hainan’s new duty-free shopping and competitive pricing offer high-end products to shoppers at low-end prices.

Classic Destinations and New Frontiers

International mainland visitors to China do not only focus on the metropolitan areas, like Beijing and Shanghai. They are visiting the secondary and tertiary cities, and even rural areas, to have a more authentic experience of the Chinese civilization. For example, Hunan Province’s Furong Town, with beautiful waterfalls and Tujia ethnic features, has become a favorite spot for tourists looking for a more authentic experience. The town’s atmosphere and embodiment of Chinese culture and the locals’ authentic experience of traveling to China are priceless. Beyond the Tujia brocade, which is an Intangible Heritage of China, and other rural artisan crafts, visitors are exuberant about the narratives.

Traveling in the Digital Age

China’s rapidly increasing popularity as a travel destination is driven primarily by the digital advancements at the fingertips of modern travelers. WeChat has made traveling and spending time in China easier than ever. Because WeChat is integrated into daily life in China, travelers can easily make and manage their travel plans. Being able to use your digital tools without a problem makes China a much more desirable travel destination.

Unmatched Cultural Experience

The genuine hospitality of the Chinese people is evident to travelers at the Spring Festival. Especially evident is the authenticity of the hospitality in the emerging smaller towns as popular travel destinations. Travelers engage with the culture of the Tujia people as they participate in the bonfire dances and witness the local artisans weave Tujia brocade.

Horse Year provides a wonderful opportunity for overseas tourists to embark on a journey of discovery of authentic Chinese culture. From the intense, vibrant, and sometimes chaotic atmosphere of Shanghai to the calm and serene charm of the little and lovely town of Furong. This festival is not only one of the numerous official celebrations of the Chinese New Year, but it is the chance for the travelers to the host destination to enjoy and appreciate the diversity and richness of the fabric of the local culture. Holiday tourists to China are able to experience and appreciate the depth, the breadth, and the warm, embracing, inviting, and sharing spirit of the homeland of the people with whom they are so interrelated. These experiences are usually the longest-lasting memories and the most captivating experiences of travelers to the remote regions of the world.

The celebrations of the Chinese New Year will continue to welcome travelers to enjoy the seamless mingling of the traditional and the modern and, most importantly, the embracing of the new.

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