TONGCHENGTRAVEL(00780): "Unique New Year's Flavor Tour" Grand Competition, tourists from all over the country are searching for treasure to spend the Chinese New Year.

The lively atmosphere of family reunion has not yet dissipated, and a tourism craze that spans north and south of the Yangtze River has quietly emerged. Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL (00780) shows that the nine-day Chinese New Year holiday has made "segmented Lunar New Year celebration" even more popular, with February 18th (the second day of the Lunar New Year) to February 19th (the third day of the Lunar New Year) becoming the peak travel period during the festival. The popularity of air travel during the festival has increased by 38% compared to the same period last year. Throughout the Chinese New Year holiday, it is expected that the number of air travelers taking more than two trips will increase by more than half compared to last year's Spring Festival. Under the influence of the "reunion at home first, then vacation" trend catalyzed by the Spring Festival, the peak period for hotel stays in China during the festival has become more significant. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, during the festival (from the first day to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year), the average price of domestic hotels is more than 30% higher than before the Spring Festival, with some popular tourist cities even exceeding double the price. In addition, hotel bookings for 2 to 4 nights during the festival have become mainstream, with hotels near famous scenic spots and popular business districts being in high demand. This year marks the second year of "intangible cultural heritage Chinese New Year" after the success of applying for UNESCO heritage status. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that destination cities such as Shantou, Fuzhou, and Taiyuan with unique, immersive traditional customs and flavors have stood out, maintaining high levels of ticket reservations and visitor flow. While some holidaymakers choose to embark on long-haul outbound trips, many others are heading to short-haul destinations such as Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia during the festival. The competition for "special Lunar New Year flavors" has led tourists all over the country to search for hidden gems for celebrating the Lunar New Year. "As I grow older, I increasingly cherish the precious Lunar New Year flavors." A month ago, Xiaowan was already looking for travel guides and planning her itinerary. Having seen lion and dragon dances and visited various temple fairs, this year she wants to experience a place with a strong Lunar New Year atmosphere and unique experiences. Many users share Xiaowan's sentiments. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, in the past two weeks, searches for keywords like "Lunar New Year flavors" have increased by 358% on the platform. By the third day of the Lunar New Year, cities like Shantou, Fuzhou, Chaozhou, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Huangshan, Zigong, Kaifeng, and Shangrao have made it to the top 10 list of destinations for "special Lunar New Year flavors." The trend of "celebrating the Lunar New Year in the most festive places" has become a new trend. As the millennium-old intangible cultural heritage represented by English song and dance brings a surge of visitors to the Chaoshan region. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that in the first half of the Chinese New Year holiday, the popularity of flights landing at Chaoshan Airport has increased by nearly 10 places compared to the previous Spring Festival. In addition to Shanghai, Beijing, other popular source cities include Chongqing, Haikou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Kunming, and other places. In the top 20 popular areas for hotel stays across the country, Chaoshan occupies three seats, located near Xiaogongyuan Park in Shantou, Wanda Plaza in Shantou, and near Chaozhou Ancient Town, with many popular room types like large beds and family rooms selling out early. Thanks to the auspicious start of the Lunar New Year and the grand traditional folk activities that bring blessings, the tourism popularity in Fuzhou remains high during the Spring Festival period. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, by the third day of the Lunar New Year, Sanfang Qixiang has entered the top 10 list of popular attractions nationwide, with a week-over-week search heat increase of over 500%. The colorful New Year lanterns and flower markets in Guangzhou have brought a strong Lunar New Year atmosphere to the city, boosting the popularity of well-known attractions such as the Guangzhou Tower and Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park, which have made it to the top 15 list of popular attractions nationwide. The influx of "returning home travel" and cross-provincial "out-of-town travel" has led to a surge in tourism popularity in cities in the central and western regions such as Taiyuan in Shanxi, Xi'an in Shaanxi, Huangshan in Anhui, Kaifeng in Henan, and Shangrao in Jiangxi. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, by the third day of the Lunar New Year, hotels near the Bell Tower in Xi'an, the Datang Night City, and Wanshoushan Wuxia City have firmly dominated the top 5 areas for popular hotel stays across the country. Taiyuan has become a popular destination for tourists looking for Lunar New Year flavors with rich folk activities such as the Shehuo parade and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions. In the first half of the Spring Festival holiday, the popularity of flight tickets landing at Wusu Airport in Taiyuan increased by 268% month-on-month. From the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, ticket reservations and visitor flow at popular scenic spots such as Laojun Mountain, Huangshan Scenic Area, Zigong Chinese Lantern World, and Gexian Village Resort have remained high, with family combination tickets such as "2 adults and 1 child" and "2 adults and 2 children" being the most common. Hainan's Lunar New Year popularity has soared, with classic destinations still leading the way in attracting tourists. As the first Spring Festival after the closure of the entire island, the cultural and tourism market in Hainan Province is in full swing. TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform data shows that in the first half of the Spring Festival holiday, the popularity of flight tickets landing at Meilan Airport in Haikou and Phoenix Airport in Sanya increased by over 300% month-on-month. The top 5 hot source cities flying to Haikou are mainly first-tier cities, including Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Shanghai; while the top 5 hot source cities flying to Sanya are more diverse, including Beijing, Chengdu, Harbin, Xi'an, and Shanghai. In terms of hotel accommodation, by the third day of the Lunar New Year, the proportion of high-quality hotel bookings in Haikou and Sanya during the Spring Festival has significantly exceeded the national average level. Hotels in core bay areas such as Haitang Bay and Yalong Bay in Sanya have been in high demand, with hotel stays in Haitang Bay tourism resort increasing by 156% compared to the previous month, with sea-view suites, family multi-bedroom suites, and themed rooms for families being the most popular. Homestays and resort hotels in places like Wanning and Lingshui have also experienced peak stays during the festival, with the 95s and 00s seeking high-quality, cost-effective options becoming the main source of customers. Looking closer, hotels and homestays with themes such as seaside vacations and surfing have been highly sought after during the peak period, with "rooms in demand" being a common sight. Despite the emergence of emerging destinations and distinctive small towns in recent years, classic destinations such as Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming, and Harbin continue to attract the majority of travelers during the golden period of the Lunar New Year. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, looking at the air travel heat during the festival, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Kunming, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Hangzhou, and Harbin steadfastly remain among the top ten domestic destinations. Many travelers opting for "segmented Lunar New Year celebrations" consider Harbin as a desirable destination, with a significant increase in the proportion of travelers flying to Harbin during the festival compared to the previous Spring Festival. Compared to long-haul outbound trips that started early, short-haul outbound trips experienced a second wave of peak during the festival. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that thanks to visa-free policy dividends, cost-effectiveness, and pleasant climates, a number of Southeast Asian cities have become popular outbound destinations during the Spring Festival. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that the top 10 popular outbound destinations during the Spring Festival include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali, Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Macau, and Phuket. In terms of activities, Chinatown in Bangkok, the Temple of the Heavenly Queen in Kuala Lumpur, and Chinatown in Singapore with their rich Lunar New Year flavors have become popular destinations for tourists to visit. In terms of itinerary pace, more than 70% of outbound travel products for 4 to 5 days account for the orders, with many travelers choosing to "fly out on the second day and return on the sixth day," combining traditional customs with an exotic holiday.