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During the nine-day Chinese New Year holiday that concluded on February 23, Guangdong, the country’s largest economy, led all regions in both tourist numbers and tourism revenue. According to data from 26 provincial-level regions, the province recorded 86 million visits and generated nearly 85 billion yuan (about $12.4 billion), setting new national records.
Across the nation, approximately 596 million domestic trips were taken during this period, marking an 18.9% increase compared to the eight-day holiday in 2025. Total domestic tourism expenditure also climbed by 18.6%, reaching 803.4 billion yuan (around $117.5 billion).
Six provinces attracted over 50 million tourists each. Guangdong was at the top with 86.5 million visits, followed by Jiangsu in the east with 75.8 million, Henan in the central region with 62.8 million, Hubei in the north with 60.08 million, Sichuan in the southwest with 58.6 million, and Hunan in the central part with 58.4 million.
In terms of revenue, Guangdong, Zhejiang in the southeast, and Jiangsu ranked the highest, bringing in 84.8 billion yuan ($12.4 billion), 67.9 billion yuan, and 60.9 billion yuan, respectively.
Compared to last year, southern provinces rebounded with strong growth in both visitor numbers and revenue. Typically a popular winter holiday destination, the south experienced increased tourism, but last year, attractions in northern regions—such as winter sports and historical architecture tours in Shanxi—also gained significant popularity. This shift resulted in higher growth rates for both visitors and earnings in northern provinces, surpassing those in the south.
The four provinces with the fastest growth during the holiday all experienced increases of over 20%. Hainan in the south saw a growth of 28.9%, Jilin in the northeast grew by 26.9%, Fujian in the southeast reported a 25.8% increase, and Zhejiang experienced a 24.7% rise.
Regarding tourism income, seven provinces saw gains exceeding 20%, five of which are in the southern part of the country. Hunan, Hainan, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jilin, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Shanghai posted growth rates of 33.8%, 30.7%, 28.9%, 26.5%, 24.9%, 21.8%, and 20.9%, respectively.
In most regions, tourism revenue grew faster than visitor numbers, indicating an increase in average spending per traveler. Beijing recorded the highest per-capita tourism expenditure during the holiday, welcoming 19.8 million visitors and generating 33.1 billion yuan ($4.8 billion). This translates to an average of approximately 1,670 yuan ($244) per person, representing a 2.5% rise from the previous year.
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