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Chinese tourists spent approximately 9 billion USD during the Qingming Festival, marking a 6.6 percent year-over-year increase. This growth was largely driven by the holiday coinciding with a newly piloted spring break for primary and secondary school students.
During the three-day holiday that concluded on April 6, the number of domestic trips rose by 6.8 percent to reach 135 million, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Qingming Festival, traditionally a time to honor ancestors and remember loved ones, is also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. This year, ten provinces introduced a spring break for students, reshaping travel patterns and providing a substantial boost to the consumer market early in the quarter. Some regions scheduled the break from April 1 to 3 to align with the holiday.
This holiday period highlights a long-term trend toward extended consumption chains and more efficient spending patterns, according to Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of the New Economy. He emphasized that the holiday economy has become a consistent and sustainable driver of overall consumption growth.
The robust spending observed during this spring holiday, supported by favorable policies, has set a positive tone for the steady recovery of the consumer market throughout the year. This trend underscores the resilience, vast potential, and vibrant dynamism of China’s consumer sector, offering strong support for ongoing economic growth.
Average daily sales at major retail and catering businesses increased by 2.4 percent compared to last year, according to commercial data. Foot traffic and sales at 78 key pedestrian streets grew by 6 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively.
The spring break pilot effectively created an additional mini Golden Week, significantly boosting domestic travel and spending. It is estimated to have contributed over 250 billion CNY (roughly 36.6 billion USD) to related industries, fostering employment and injecting fresh energy into the growth of domestic demand.
Provinces such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Guizhou implemented the spring break in many primary and secondary schools, creating a six-day holiday that notably increased family travel.
The synergy of the Qingming Festival and spring break fueled strong demand for family-oriented trips, short-distance getaways, and longer-distance vacations. Airfare booking on trending routes surged by over 40 percent compared to the previous year, according to Qunar, a travel platform.
The extended holiday period shifted travel preferences from quick family visits to more in-depth, long-haul trips, according to Wang Peng of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences. This change expanded cross-regional travel and unlocked consumption in industries like aviation and hospitality.
Furthermore, the seasonality of spring has been converted into tangible consumer demand, supporting sustained growth in the holiday economy rather than temporary spikes. This development lays a solid foundation for year-round consumption expansion.
Fueling this growth, the holiday economy is expected to help China’s consumer sector sustain a moderate recovery in the second quarter. However, retail sales growth may remain sluggish in the coming months due to the high base effect and limited consumer capacity and willingness among middle- and lower-income groups, said Wu Chaoming, chief economist at Hunan Chasing Financial Holdings.
On the positive side, improving employment and income levels, easing pressures from the real estate sector, and a rebound in household wealth from capital markets—combined with policy measures aimed at stimulating consumption—are likely to support a modest recovery in retail sales, potentially reaching around 4.5 percent annually. Service sectors might experience even higher growth rates, Wu added.
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