2026 New Year Chinese Outbound Travel Recap

China’s outbound travel market kicked off the New Year with renewed vitality . Despite the short official break(1–3 January), many travelers opted to extend their trips to 8 days by utilizing 3-day leaves, stimulating demand for longer and more premium journeys.

According to Fliggy’s latest data, average order value rose 10% year-on-year (YoY)¹, reflecting consumers’ growing willingness to invest on high-quality travel experiences. These trends underscore how China outbound travel continues to evolve toward quality, flexibility, and experience-led consumption.

Outbound Travel Demand Remains Hot, Driven by Flexible Itineraries

The momentum seen during the 2025 summer and National Day holidays carried directly into the 2026 New Year period, with a marked shift toward independent exploration.

Self-Drive and Self-Guided Experiences Remain Popular

Fliggy reported that outbound travel bookings fully surpassed last year’s New Year holiday period, with self-drive and self-guided experiences being particularly popular. International car rental bookings surged over 210% YoY, while private car services increased more than tenfold. These patterns highlight travelers’ preference for comfort, autonomy, and flexible itineraries.

Short-Haul Dominance vs Long-Haul Recovery

In terms of destinations, short-haul regions within a “four-hour flight radius”, including Hong Kong, Macau, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, continued to dominate the rankings. At the same time, long-haul destinations such as the United States and Australia entered the top ten, while emerging markets including Argentina, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, and Hungary recorded booking growth of over four times YoY¹.

Younger Travelers Power the New Year Travel Boom

Younger generations are the key engine behind China outbound travel during the 2026 New Year period.

• Post-90s travelers remained the absolute main force, accounting for 40% of total bookings. Their average order value rose 17% YoY¹, signaling a readiness to pay for premium services.
• Gen Z bookings on travel goods increased over 60%², driven by interest-led travel such as aurora chasing, theme parks, concerts, and immersive urban experiences.
• Travelers born after 2005 recorded the fastest growth, with bookings jumping 130% YoY on Fliggy¹, demonstrating strong long-term growth potential.

Family Travel and Experiential Consumption Gain Importance

Family travel also emerged as a key driver of quality consumption. Fliggy data shows

• Parent-child travel volumes increased over 80% YoY², with a clear preference for high-star hotels and full-service resorts to ensure convenience and comfort.
• Niche and experiential travel continued to rise. Searches for aurora tours and pet-friendly travel grew over 200% YoY¹.
• New Year-themed activities, including festive countdown events, fireworks, and light shows, saw a 58% increase in search popularity¹.

Capture 2026 China Outbound Travel Opportunities with iClick

As demand for global destinations accelerates, brands must engage Chinese travelers across fragmented digital touchpoints. Leveraging deep expertise in China digital ecosystems and partnerships with leading OTAs and media platforms like Fliggy, Qunar, and Xiaohongshu(RedNote), iClick helps brands capture high-intent travelers through data-driven marketing strategies.

We turn these emerging travel trends into measurable sales and revenue growth for our global partners.

Connect with iClick to activate your 2026 travel strategy.

Source:

1: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_MGeg4FcCMWR2zb73T4x0A

2: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AfVsOKOxi7iOGmMAyTlJpw

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