The Year of the Dragon commenced on 10 February, marking the onset of the 15-day Chinese celebration known as Spring Festival. Anticipating this festive period, preparations initiated prior to the New Year, leading to the commencement of the travel phase surrounding the festival, referred to as “chun yun,” on 26 January in China, lasting for a span of 40 days.
During the previous year, the Spring Festival closely followed the abandonment of the zero-Covid policy, coinciding with a fresh wave of infections, thereby hindering the return of individuals to their customary travel patterns. However, this year witnesses a resurgence in travel activities, with projections indicating that Chinese nationals are poised to undertake approximately 9 billion domestic journeys throughout the travel season, alongside a resurgence in international holiday ventures.
Thailand, a favored destination among Chinese travelers before the pandemic, foresees a substantial influx of Chinese tourists during the holiday period, with estimates ranging between 200,000 and 250,000 visitors, surpassing the figures recorded in 2023 by more than threefold. The Thai Chinese Tourism Alliance Association’s Vice President, Chanapan Kaewklachaiyawuth, expressed aspirations for Thailand to recover 75% of its 2019 Chinese visitor numbers over the course of the year. Should the anticipated 8 million tourists materialize in 2024, it would signify a doubling of last year’s figures.
In closer proximity, Vietnamese border towns are already witnessing a surge in Chinese tourist arrivals. Li Min, the deputy director of the immigration inspection station in Dongxing, a city situated on the China-Vietnam border in Guangxi, reported a notable escalation in inbound and outbound tourists, peaking at nearly 25,000 individuals in a single day, attributed to the Spring Festival festivities.
In anticipation of heightened demand, airlines have augmented their flight offerings for the Lunar New Year travel period. China Eastern, for instance, introduced 15 new international routes, with a particular focus on Southeast Asian island destinations. The airline’s agenda includes the operation of 2,322 round-trip flights linking various Chinese airports with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok during chun yun. Additionally, new routes have been established, such as connections between Shanghai Pudong Airport and Australia’s Cairns and Perth. Noteworthy frequency enhancements have also been implemented on popular routes, including those between Shanghai and Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and the Maldives.
Europe is poised to experience a surge in tourist arrivals, as indicated by insights from Hainan Airlines’ Berlin office. The Chinese New Year holiday has catalyzed an upsurge in passenger traffic on the airline’s Beijing to Berlin route in February compared to January, as reported by the Chinese state media agency Xinhua. Presently, the Beijing to Berlin direct flight operated by Hainan Airlines has reinstated operations to pre-pandemic levels, offering three weekly flights during the winter-spring season. Encouraged by an impressive seat occupancy rate exceeding 80% in February, the airline plans to introduce two additional weekly flights commencing from April.