On February 17, the historically longest 8-day Spring Festival holiday officially came to an end. According to data from tourism departments, scenic spots, and several online travel platforms, the Spring Festival holiday for the Year of the Dragon can be described as the "hottest" ever, with a flourishing tourism market and a far greater number of tourists than in 2023 or even 2019.

A photo taken on February 13, 2024 shows the crowds outside the Palace Museum in Beijing, China. /CFP

Many tourist attractions were particularly crowded, with some reaching or approaching their maximum capacity for several consecutive days, while tickets for many attractions during the Spring Festival holiday were sold out or nearly sold out early in the holiday period.

For example, according to the local authorities in Hubei Province, the popularity of the Yellow Crane Tower surged, with the number of visitor reservations reaching 90 percent of the maximum daily capacity on February 12 and 13, prompting the suspension of advance ticket sales.

Popular museums such as the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Shanghai Museum in Shanghai, the Nanjing Museum in Jiangsu Province, and the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan Province had all sold out or nearly sold out of tickets before the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Many tourist attractions also showcased impressive "achievement reports."

Data from the Longmen Grottoes Scenic Area in Luoyang, Henan Province showed that the number of tourists arriving during the Spring Festival holiday reached 458,600, an increase of 78.51 percent compared to the Spring Festival in 2023.

Data released by the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area showed that as of February 17 in the Spring Festival holiday, the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area in Sichuan Province had received a total of 172,600 tourists, marking a significant breakthrough in off-peak tourism.

Data from travel booking platform Trip.com showed that the number of domestic scenic spot ticket bookings made during this year's Spring Festival holiday had increased by more than 60 percent year-on-year.

Reports released by several online travel platforms all indicated that staying at home for New Year’s Eve before traveling was a popular choice for many tourists this year. The 8-day holiday allowed for longer travel times and distances during the Spring Festival period, with a noticeable trend of "north-south exchange" for travel.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong