China’s travel industry is expecting a sharp increase in visitors to Australia during this month’s extended Lunar New Year holiday, as millions of tourists fan out across the world for a nine-day break. Industry insiders said the lure of wine, seafood, nature and flexible small-group itineraries was driving interest in the island country.

Brands can expect an influx of Chinese travellers to Bangkok, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur during the Spring Festival travel surge, as well as heavier traffic at gateway airports serving domestic holiday destinations in Hainan, Hebei and Shaanxi.

Since 18 December 2025, Hainan’s island-wide special customs operations have moved the Free Trade Port from a duty-free “shopping stop” to a system that shapes price expectations, brand shortlists and purchase intent far beyond the island. With travellers booking fast but researching hard—CTD data shows 77% book within a month, 79% research pre-trip and 98% price-check against online—Hainan is compressing the path from influence to checkout.

Shanghai is fast becoming the go-to China break for South Korean travellers, powered by visa-free access, a short flight time and a strong “value for money” reputation. Visitor volumes have jumped from about 570,000 in 2023 to 1.1 million in 2024, and continued rising in 2025, with bookings for early 2026 reported at more than triple last year’s pace.

Bookings and flight data suggest South Korea will overtake Japan as the top Lunar New Year destination for Chinese travellers. China Trading Desk estimates 230k–250k mainland visitors to Korea from 15 Feb (up to +52% YoY), while Japan arrivals may fall up to 60%. Drivers include a stronger value won, eased group visas, K-culture appeal, and China–Japan tensions; China–Korea flights are up ~25% YoY, while China–Japan flights are down 48%.

China’s outbound market is no longer in “revenge travel” mode. It’s normalising but around a very different traveller mix. China Trading Desk's latest surveys demonstrate that travel budgets are solidly back, with new segments among Chinese travellers reshaping how they discover, approach and experience airport and downtown duty-free.

Duty-free sales have surged in Hainan since an island-wide ‘seal-off’ was introduced on 18 December. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs and reported by state media, between 1 December 2025 and 10 January 2026, revenue hit RMB38.9 billion/$5.6 billion, with sales volumes rising by 49.6% year-on year.

China’s hotels are welcoming record numbers of travelers, yet room rates are sinking — aparadox many operators blame on Trip.com Group Ltd.

On a recent train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, half the carriage was occupied by travelers from China. The group, made up of all ages, was on its way to Russia’s imperial capital as part of an organised Chinese tour group, one of the first since Moscow opened its doors to Chinese nationals without requiring a visa last month.