On November 4, the General Office of the State Council announced the 2026 holiday schedule, with the Spring Festival holiday set for February 15 to 23, totaling nine days. As the holiday's opening day falls immediately after Valentine's Day, flight searches for both the first day of the holiday and the preceding day have surged significantly. Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that by 6 PM on November 4, searches for domestic flights and hotels in China for February 14 and 15, 2026, had more than doubled compared to the previous day. Taking time off before the holiday to celebrate Valentine's Day may become a major trend in the Spring Festival travel season.

Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that as of November 4, the top five domestic flight routes in China with departure dates between February 15 and 23 are: Shenzhen-Shanghai, Shanghai-Harbin, Harbin-Shanghai, Guangzhou-Shanghai, and Guangzhou-Changchun. The top five cities for hotel stays during the Spring Festival holiday are: Beijing, Shanghai, Harbin, Guangzhou, and Sanya. This indicates that Harbin and Sanya, popular destinations for winter “snowbird travel,” have seen their travel popularity extend ahead of the Spring Festival holiday.

A representative from Tongcheng Research Institute stated that whether it's the extended Spring Festival holiday or the pilot implementation of “spring-autumn breaks” and “snow breaks” for students in some regions of China, these developments reflect how the “vacation” system has become a crucial tool for boosting macro and regional consumption as well as population mobility. Additionally, with the widespread adoption of AI technology, an increasing number of users are applying AI tools to their pre-trip planning scenarios. Data from the Tongcheng Travel platform indicates that some users have already utilized DeepTrip, the travel AI assistant launched by Tongcheng Travel, to plan their Spring Festival itineraries.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong