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As the first Spring Festival after the successful application for a cultural heritage, its influence is not only reflected in the depth of cultural inheritance, but more intuitively reflected in the vigorous development of the cultural tourism market. During the Spring Festival this year, New Year’s Eve was officially included as a legal holiday, and the holiday was extended to 8 days. People’s enthusiasm for travel was instantly ignited, and the tourism market ushered in a new peak.
According to calculations by the Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the eight days of the Spring Festival holiday, 501 million domestic trips were made across the country, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%; the total cost of domestic travel during the holiday was 677.002 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.0%.
As a result, alternative tourism that spends small money to do big things, or uses the right money to exchange for a better experience came into being. On social platforms such as Xiaohongshu, the topic of Spring Festival travel replacement strategies continues to rise in popularity, with the number of related notes exceeding 2.27 million. It is not difficult to see that equalization tourism is gradually becoming an emerging tourism trend, subtly changing people’s travel methods and consumption concepts, injecting new vitality into the tourism market.
Rejecting high premiums, Guangxi tourism becomes a cost-effective choice
Interactive exchanges between the north and the south. Winter cold travel has always been the mainstream of the Spring Festival holiday.
However, while Hainan’s high tourism costs due to holidays discourage tourists, Guangxi, which also has a pleasant climate and sunny beaches, has become a dark horse in this year’s Spring Festival tourism market with its high cost performance and unique charm.
Data shows that Hainan received 9.5584 million tourists during the Spring Festival holiday in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 0.5% compared with the same period in 2024. On the basis of the high popularity of the tourism market during the Spring Festival in 2024, the steady growth trend and corresponding popularity will still be maintained in 2025.
However, if we compare the data for 2024, it is also the same eight-day Spring Festival holiday, and the growth rate difference is very significant. The number of tourists received during the Spring Festival in Hainan in 2024 will increase by 48.8% year-on-year, while the growth rate in 2025 will be only 0.5%. Although the number of tourists continues to grow, the growth rate has slowed down significantly.
Looking back at Guangxi’s data, the total number of tourists received during the Spring Festival holiday in 2025 reached 59.4785 million, a year-on-year increase of 13.3%, and domestic tourists spent 47.511 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.1%. Maintain higher growth in the wall into the stone.
In terms of tourist reception volume, Nanning, Guilin and Beihai rank among the top three; in terms of tourist consumption, Guilin, Nanning, Beihai and Liuzhou rank among the top three. Landscape gardens, scenic spots and historic sites, coastal vacations, and theme parks are the most popular types of scenic spots.
Compared with Hainan’s hotel prices, which often cost thousands of yuan, Guangxi’s accommodation prices are much more approachable. Whether it is a budget hotel or a specialty B & B, you can stay at a relatively affordable price. Taking Beihai as an example, the price of sea view rooms during the Spring Festival is generally below 500 yuan, which is only one-third or even lower than that of similar hotels in Sanya. In addition to accommodation, Guangxi’s catering, transportation and other tourism costs are also relatively low.
In terms of catering, Guangxi’s rich and diverse delicacies, such as snail noodles, old friends noodles, various seafood, etc., are not only delicious, but also very affordable. Also taking Beihai as an example, the per capita consumption for a sumptuous seafood meal may only cost about 100 yuan, which is much lower than that in popular coastal cities such as Sanya.
During this year’s Spring Festival holiday, Moon, born in the 1995 era, chose to travel to Guangxi with his family. She said that she actually considered going to Hainan or Yunnan at the beginning, because it was warm in winter there. But when you look at the price, the hotel room rate has doubled directly, and the air ticket is ridiculously expensive, which feels a bit worth it. Later, I read Xiaohongshu and saw many people recommending Guangxi, saying that the climate there was also good and the prices were still low, so I decided to give it a try.
When asked how Guangxi’s travel experience was compared to Hainan, Yue said that this trip really exceeded her expectations! Starting from Nanning, it is very convenient to take the high-speed train. It takes more than an hour to get to Guilin. Then take the high-speed train and it takes more than an hour to get to Yangshuo. Moreover, the mountains and rivers over there are particularly beautiful, just like paintings, Guilin’s mountains and rivers are really the best in the world, and Yangshuo’s mountains and rivers are the best in Guilin! Moreover, there are not as many tourists as Hainan, so it is very comfortable to play. The hotel we stayed in was very good value for money, with large rooms and a buffet. I ordered takeout when I didn’t want to go out. There were many choices and the taste was good.
“Compared with Hainan, Guangxi’s biggest advantage is its high cost performance. And for young people like us, experience is like everything is important. We don’t have to crowd people and save money. Why not?” rdquo; The Moon added.
During this year’s Spring Festival holiday, there are still many young tourists who make similar choices like the moon. They no longer blindly pursue Internet celebrity attractions, but pay more attention to cost performance and experience. With these advantages, Guangxi has become the preferred destination for more and more young people to travel during the Spring Festival. Among the tourist structure of Guangxi during this year’s Spring Festival holiday, 31.5% were born in the 1990s and 26.2% were born in the 2000s. These young people used their actions to vote for Guangxi’s cost-effective tourism.
“Erbin’s popularity remains unchanged, and ice and snow resorts take advantage of the momentum to get out of the circle.”
With the Asian Winter Games + Winter Tour + Ice and Snow World upgrade as the engine, Harbin once again proved its unshakable status in the ice and snow tourism field during the Spring Festival of 2025.
In order to welcome the Asian Winter Games, Harbin has comprehensively upgraded its ice and snow tourism products. With the themes of dragon ice and snow and pursuing dreams of Asian winter, the Ice and Snow World has created an unprecedented scale of ice and snow landscapes and incorporated more interactive experience projects, bringing tourists a more shocking visual feast and a richer play experience. In addition, Harbin has also launched diversified tourism products such as ice and snow performing arts, ice and snow sports, and ice and snow folk customs to meet the needs of different tourists.
According to statistics, during the Spring Festival in 2025, Harbin City received a total of 12.151 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 20.4%; the number of inbound tourists received increased by 144.7% year-on-year; the total tourism expenditure reached 19.15 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.6% based on a comparable scale. Both tourist reception volume and total tourism expenditure have once again reached historical peaks.
As the first Spring Festival after being successfully included in the World Cultural Heritage List, with the continuous expansion of the influence of Spring Festival culture on the international stage and the implementation of visa-free policies between China and many countries, the China Travel craze for overseas tourists has reached an unprecedented peak on the occasion of the New Year of the Snake.
From South Korean tourists exploding the Shanghai business district to Southeast Asian tourists flooding Chengdu, to collective trips to Harbin to experience the ice and snow feast… This scene vividly interprets the global charm of the Year of China.
Of course, Harbin’s popularity is not limited to local areas, its demonstration effect spreads like ripples, and many ice and snow resorts also take advantage of the momentum to get out of the circle during the Spring Festival holiday.
Altay, Xinjiang is one of them. With its unique ice and snow resources and folk culture, it attracts a large number of tourists. During the Spring Festival holiday in 2025, the Altay Prefecture received 1.2143 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 18.92%; the total tourist spending was 863 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.02%.
What is even more rare is that hotel prices in Altay increased by only about 20% during the Spring Festival.CtripIt shows that the price of the local Wuzuan Hotel on New Year’s Eve is 400 yuan to 500 yuan, and the price of some hotels and B & Bs near the Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort does not exceed 500 yuan.
As a destination for skiing tours, Altay is also following up. During the Spring Festival, Altay launched ice and snow tourism coupons for skiing tickets, hotels and restaurants, and even discounted prices for ski instructor services. Therefore, in terms of hard skiing consumption, the daily cost per person can be controlled at around 400 yuan, launching a super cost-effective ski package. At the same time, the ski resort here has high-quality ski trails, which can meet the needs of skiers of different levels. On February 1, the single-day reception volume of Altay General Mountain International Ski Resort exceeded a new high, receiving 18,000 tourists, a year-on-year increase of 128%. At present, the ski resort has a single-day capacity of 30,000 tourists at the same time.
Not only that, while experiencing ice and snow sports, tourists can also deeply experience the traditional customs of ethnic minorities such as Kazakhs, enjoy the Golden Snake Welcoming the New Year and the Happy Original Year in Hemu Village, experience the fun of winter fishing in Wulungu Lake, and taste Snow hot pot and feel a different flavor of the ice and snow New Year.“”
Changchun has also performed well in this ice and snow tourism boom. According to the “2025 Spring Festival Tourism Summary Report” released by Ctrip, Changchun ranks second among domestic ice and snow tourism destinations, with inbound tourism orders increasing by 33% year-on-year. According to calculations by the Changchun Branch of the Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the Spring Festival holiday in 2025, Changchun City received 12.2897 million domestic tourists, a year-on-year increase of 22.27%; the total travel expenses for domestic tourists were 17.628 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.55%. Changchun’s four major ski resorts received a total of 72,000 tourists during the Spring Festival; the joint ticket products of the Puppet Manchuria Palace Museum and the Changying Museum are very popular, receiving more than 11,000 tourists per day. The vigorous ice and snow tourism has also boosted holiday hotel consumption, which is monitored by key factors in Changchun CityHyatt RegencyDuring the Spring Festival, the average occupancy rate reached 92%. The occupancy rate of Shangri-La Hotel and Yatai Longda Hotel remained above 80% after the second day of the Lunar New Year. Wanda Wenhua Hotel and Lianhuashan Business Hotel were operating with full rooms for several consecutive days.
It is worth mentioning that during the holidays, Changchun’s Nanhu Park is open for free. Tourists participate in ice walking, ice slides and other projects, and the experience cost is basically tens of yuan.
It is not difficult to see that Altay and Changchun not only cleverly leveraged their strength in this craze of ice and snow tourism, but also stood out with their high cost performance. In contrast, the ticket price of Harbin Ice and Snow World is relatively high. This year’s price is 325 yuan/person. If you add fast passes for popular projects such as large slides and Ferris wheel, it will cost as high as 800 yuan/person.
In similar ice and snow travel scenarios, Altay and Changchun are more economical and can avoid crowds. Today, many young consumers prefer emerging destinations with lower crowd gathering, a stronger sense of experience, and supporting services that have caught up in recent years. They pursue a personalized, high-quality tourism experience and are unwilling to squeeze in popular attractions. Altay and Changchun just meet their needs. While providing rich ice and snow projects, they ensure the comfort and low cost of playing.
At a time when the tourism market is becoming increasingly mature, tourists ‘travel preferences are quietly changing. More and more people tend to choose niche destinations to avoid the crowds of popular attractions and pursue a more unique and tranquil travel experience. At the same time, travel costs remain a key factor influencing consumer decision-making.
During the Spring Festival of 2025, local governments and e-commerce platforms discovered this change and launched cultural tourism consumption vouchers to stimulate tourism consumption and enhance the tourist experience. Consumption vouchers cover both popular and niche destinations, providing tourists with tangible discounts.
Guangdong and Henan have their own characteristics when issuing consumption coupons. Guangdong discounts hotels, scenic spots, and tourist routes, with a maximum reduction of 200 yuan; Henan has introduced online booking exemptions such as 900 – 300 and 600 – 200, making it easier for tourists to plan their journeys. More than a dozen cities, including Xiamen and Hangzhou, have also taken active actions. Xiamen issues coupons for special B & Bs and scenic spots to attract young literary and artistic people and family tourists to experience the customs of southern Fujian; Hangzhou issues coupons around West Lake cruises and special teahouses, allowing tourists to appreciate local tea while enjoying the scenery. culture.
Cultural tourism coupons not only benefit popular cities, but also bring passenger flow and income to alternative destinations. According to the “2025 Spring Festival Tourism Consumption Trend Report” released by China Travel Agents Association, the utilization rate of cultural tourism consumption coupons during the Spring Festival is as high as more than 70%, which directly drives a substantial increase in local tourism revenue. Through the precise release of cultural tourism consumption coupons, Guangxi Beihai has increased its tourism revenue by about 40% year-on-year during the Spring Festival. Attractions such as Yintan and Weizhou Island have welcomed a large number of tourists. The originally relatively small old streets have also become tourists driven by consumption coupons. A popular check-in place to experience local folk culture. Thanks to the issuance of ice and snow tourism coupons, tourism revenue in Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang has increased by about 35% year-on-year. Scenic spots such as Jiangjun Mountain Ski Resort and Hemu Village have become very popular. Many tourists said that the use of coupons gives them the opportunity to experience high-quality ice and snow tourism projects.
The prevalence of cost-effective routes in the tourism industry may indicate that incubating alternative destinations will become an important trend in the development of the tourism market in the future, and is also expected to become a new growth point for the urban economy during the Spring Festival. With the continuous promotion of cultural tourism coupons, more and more niche destinations are expected to be known and loved by more tourists, injecting new vitality into the tourism market.(This article was first published on GuShiio.com Stock Market Smart APP, author| Zhao Chenhan, Editor| Fang Yu)
