China’s first long weekend of 2026 delivered the busiest three-day travel period the country has seen since before the pandemic. Data released on 5 January by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show 595 million passenger movements across all transport modes, including 6.615 million cross-border trips by Chinese and foreign travellers. Average daily border traffic reached 2.205 million, 28.6 percent higher than the same holiday in 2025.
Domestic tourism also roared back: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported 142 million internal journeys that generated RMB 84.8 billion (US$12.1 billion) in spending. Analysts attributed the surge to China’s decision to extend the New Year break from one to three days, aggressive fare discounts by airlines and rail operators, and the wider roll-out of 240-hour visa-free transit and 30-day unilateral visa-waiver schemes.
![China’s 2026 New Year holiday sets mobility record with 6.6 million border crossings and 142 million domestic trips]()
Of particular interest to mobility managers, the NIA confirmed that 292,000 of the cross-border trips were made by foreigners entering China visa-free—a 35.8 percent year-on-year rise. Major hubs such as Chengdu Tianfu International Airport reported a 74.8 percent jump in foreign arrivals, led by travellers from Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. Online travel platforms Ctrip and Qunar said inbound ticket sales doubled year-on-year, while bookings for “experience” products jumped more than thirty-fold.
The figures underscore the practical impact of China’s late-2025 policy changes that (1) extended the 240-hour transit-without-visa programme to 65 ports, (2) added Sweden and other European markets to the 30-day visa-free list, and (3) simplified short-term visa documentation. For multinational employers the message is clear: China is again a scalable destination for meetings, projects and rotational assignments. Companies with large mainland footprints should expect stronger demand for in-person visits and ensure HR, travel and tax teams are ready to manage higher volumes of business-visitor compliance. Practical steps include refreshing internal visa matrices, updating invitation-letter templates, and reminding travellers that hotel or community registration within 24 hours of arrival remains mandatory even when entering visa-free.
Domestic tourism also roared back: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported 142 million internal journeys that generated RMB 84.8 billion (US$12.1 billion) in spending. Analysts attributed the surge to China’s decision to extend the New Year break from one to three days, aggressive fare discounts by airlines and rail operators, and the wider roll-out of 240-hour visa-free transit and 30-day unilateral visa-waiver schemes.
Of particular interest to mobility managers, the NIA confirmed that 292,000 of the cross-border trips were made by foreigners entering China visa-free—a 35.8 percent year-on-year rise. Major hubs such as Chengdu Tianfu International Airport reported a 74.8 percent jump in foreign arrivals, led by travellers from Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. Online travel platforms Ctrip and Qunar said inbound ticket sales doubled year-on-year, while bookings for “experience” products jumped more than thirty-fold.
The figures underscore the practical impact of China’s late-2025 policy changes that (1) extended the 240-hour transit-without-visa programme to 65 ports, (2) added Sweden and other European markets to the 30-day visa-free list, and (3) simplified short-term visa documentation. For multinational employers the message is clear: China is again a scalable destination for meetings, projects and rotational assignments. Companies with large mainland footprints should expect stronger demand for in-person visits and ensure HR, travel and tax teams are ready to manage higher volumes of business-visitor compliance. Practical steps include refreshing internal visa matrices, updating invitation-letter templates, and reminding travellers that hotel or community registration within 24 hours of arrival remains mandatory even when entering visa-free.
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