The Chinese New Year is one of the most powerful cultural moments for China and one of the most influential consumption periods of the year. For attractions, destinations and brands, how the Chinese New Year is acknowledged can directly shape visitor statistics and revenue for the entire first quarter of the year.
As consumer expectations rise, simply being open during the Spring Festival is no longer enough. Audiences are increasingly looking for meaningful and shareable experiences that reflect the spirit of the season, making early planning for the Chinese New Year an imperative.
For hundreds of millions of people, Chinese New Year centres around time spent with family and friends. While following personal traditions, many consumers actively seek inspiration for new experiences, making it the perfect time to insert your brand into the decision-making window. Destinations and attractions that present a clear, festive proposition will benefit from visibility, while those that stay silent risk being overlooked entirely.
The Year of The Horse
The Chinese New Year is deeply symbolic, with themes such as reunion, good fortune, renewal and hope resonating across generations. As we welcome the year of the horse, the seventh of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, it is important to consider what this represents. Horses are one of the most important animals in Chinese history, and the Chinese zodiac horse symbolises speed, power and perseverance. During years of the horse, Chinese nationals often wear accessories such as gold necklaces to attract luck, since the zodiac horse is associated with success and good fortune.
Attractions should reflect values through thoughtful planning of events such as lantern festivals, seasonal food offerings and interactive folk culture, ensuring to include family-friendly rituals. Experiences tied to the Chinese New Year are more likely to be remembered as annual traditions and associated with warmth and belonging, even being shared on social media platforms.
Extended Spring Festival Period
The Spring Festival sets the tone for the year, and travel surrounding it is no longer limited to hometown returns, with younger audiences opting for short-haul trips and city breaks more and more frequently. Attractions that show cultural awareness during the Chinese New Year are more likely to receive visitors through organic social reach and word-of-mouth within family and community networks. A well-executed Chinese New Year campaign will position the destination as lively and welcoming, even to residents who may not travel far during the holiday.
In 2026, the Chinese New Year holiday is expected to have an even greater impact on travel patterns due to the extended national holiday period. The Chinese government recently announced an extra day of public holiday, making the Spring Festival a 9-day period spanning the 15th-23rd Feb- the longest in history. The fortunate placement of these dates is likely to motivate workers to take additional leave, potentially up to 4-5 days, around the break in order to create a longer window for travel. According to the “2026 CNY Holiday Outbound Travel Trends” report released by Airbnb, over 70% of planned check-ins fall outside the 9-day period. This extended holiday not only will increase domestic travel volumes, but also encourages long-haul outbound holidays since travellers have sufficient time for longer flights and more immersive itineraries outside of Asia. New Zealand, Norway, Thailand, Italy, Australia, Spain, France, South Korea, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom have emerged as the top 10 most-searched destinations for the 2026 Spring Festival on AirBnB.
Visa-free travel opens doors for interest
Visa policy changes are further opening new markets for travel surrounding the Chinese New Year, with Turkey now allowing visa-free entry for Chinese citizens for up to 90 days. Russia has also seen a surge in interest since similar policies regarding visa-free travel were recently introduced, with increased searches for flights between Beijing and Moscow. Family travel is particularly significant around the Chinese New Year period, as children enjoy roughly six weeks off school- prompting many parents to plan extended long-haul holidays of 8+ days to destinations such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Northern Europe. This aligns with a trend to seek seasonal, or ‘reverse-season’, experiences, and destinations that recognise the Chinese New Year will be favoured.
Chinese New Year planning works best when it starts early. Creative concepts, partnerships and promotion all benefit from lead time. The question for attractions and cities is no longer whether to mark the holiday, but how to do so. For those willing to engage with the Chinese New Year meaningfully, it is one of the most powerful opportunities of the year.
Guanxi has experience in promoting destinations according to Chinese holidays. For help with your brand, contact us here.