The sustained vitality of passenger flows during the Spring Festival travel rush, bustling cultural and tourism markets, emerging highlights in new consumption patterns, and the continuous manifestation of "spillover effects" have characterized China's "longest Spring Festival holiday on record," accelerating the release of economic dynamism. Numerous foreign media outlets and international experts believe that the robust performance of China's Spring Festival economy not only highlights the resilience and potential of China's super-large market but also reflects the endogenous driving force of high-quality economic development in China. This strengthens confidence in the nation's stable and long-term economic growth and enables countries worldwide to share in the opportunities presented by China's development.
During this year's Spring Festival holiday, China's consumer market exhibited strong supply and demand dynamics, with multiple sectors such as cultural tourism, retail, and film flourishing simultaneously. For instance, in Sichuan province, 411 monitored retail enterprises achieved sales revenue of 2.78 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.9%. Additionally, 120 new consumption scenarios attracted over 56 million visitor trips, generating sales exceeding 4.6 billion yuan. Guangdong province received 86.589 million tourist visits, achieving tourism revenue of 84.89 billion yuan, representing increases of 8.1% and 13.9% respectively compared to the previous year's holiday period.
"Shopping centers were crowded, and diverse festive activities were held across China," reported Indonesia's Kompas website, noting that souvenirs and activities related to the Year of the Horse theme were particularly popular, with children actively purchasing horse-shaped toys. Chilean radio station Cooperativa highlighted that participation numbers for traditional Chinese performances, markets, exhibitions, and tourism projects saw significant growth during the holiday. It was projected that cross-regional passenger movement in China during the Spring Festival travel period would reach approximately 9.5 billion trips, with railway and civil aviation passenger volumes expected to hit 540 million and 95 million respectively, "fully demonstrating the economic resilience where 'holiday dividends' stimulate 'consumption momentum'."
Consumer structure continues to optimize, with new growth points constantly emerging. Insights released by Suning.com regarding Spring Festival consumption indicated that from February 15 to 23, foot traffic at its national stores increased by 78% compared to the previous period. Sales of products like smartwatches and smart glasses rose by 62%, indicating accelerated expansion and upgrading in home appliances and 3C consumption towards smarter, trendier, and more scenario-based directions. Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya television reported that green organic food and smart home appliances have become "new staples" for Chinese New Year purchases, while the integrated "film+" development model has driven synchronous growth in related industries such as catering and cultural creativity.
Yoo Soo-keun, Director of the East Asia Institute in South Korea, stated that measures like distributing consumption vouchers, promoting trade-in programs, and creating new consumption scenarios across various regions have positively contributed to stabilizing consumption expectations. "This is not about seeking short-term economic stimulus but focuses on high-quality growth led by domestic demand. The fervor of the Spring Festival economy showcases the resilience of China's vast market and signals that the consumer structure is transitioning from quantitative recovery to qualitative upgrading," he commented. Marta Montoro, Executive President of the Spain-based platform Knowing China, views the Spring Festival as an important window for observing China's people-oriented public policies. She believes this national holiday reflects China's strategic goals of improving public welfare, activating domestic demand, and promoting high-quality development.
The "spillover effects" generated by robust consumption are becoming increasingly significant, with the benefits of China's continuous expansion of high-level opening-up extending worldwide. Popular "foreign New Year goods" in China, such as chocolates from the UAE, cosmetics from France, king crabs from Russia, and cherries from Chile, are driving industrial development in their respective countries. Marco Carrasco, a researcher at Peru's National University of San Marcos, noted that "international suppliers are encountering new opportunities, with Peru being a typical case." Thanks to strong demand from the Chinese market, deepening Peru-China trade relations, and continuous improvements in logistics systems, Peru's blueberry exports to China saw substantial growth projections for 2025, a trend further reinforced by peak consumption seasons like the Spring Festival.
Hassan Ragab, Egyptian Dean of the Confucius Institute at Suez Canal University, mentioned that around this Spring Festival, distinctive products like Middle Eastern dates and Syrian olive oil soaps entered the Chinese market via cross-border e-commerce platforms. "The immense consumption potential during the Spring Festival actively contributes to revitalizing local industrial chains," he said. According to China's National Immigration Administration, immigration inspectors nationwide checked a total of 17.796 million inbound and outbound passenger trips during the holiday, averaging 1.977 million daily, a 10.1% increase compared to the daily average during last year's Spring Festival holiday. Data from ticket platforms showed that flight bookings to China by foreign tourists during the Spring Festival surged more than fourfold year-on-year.
"A major highlight of the 2026 Chinese Spring Festival is the robust growth in the number of foreign tourists," reported Peru's Siglo 21, attributing this to the further implementation of travel facilitation measures leading to "optimistic data" for China's tourism industry. Pakistan's Express Tribune reported that as China continues to expand its visa-free country list, "the number of international tourists traveling to China also saw a significant increase during this Spring Festival, creating a prosperous situation of two-way mobility."
"The 'spillover effects' of the Spring Festival economy are translating into tangible development dividends," stated Thanongkhanh Vongsanthilath, President of the Thailand-based Belt and Road Initiative Economic and Education Development Institute. He noted that Chinese tourists traveling to Thailand during the Spring Festival led to significant revenue growth for hotels, catering, and retail sectors in areas like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. Many Thai shopping malls decorated with Spring Festival themes in advance and incorporated the Chinese New Year into their annual marketing calendars. Marco Carrasco added, "The Spring Festival economy demonstrates the promoting effect of the Chinese market on world economic growth, driving the development of global trade, boosting tourism prosperity, and helping countries build deeper economic ties."
"The Spring Festival serves as both a cultural carrier and an important window for observing economic operations," said Hervé Azoulay, a professor at France's Silk Road Business School. He emphasized that holiday consumption directly reflects market vitality and resident confidence, providing crucial references for assessing China's economic situation. "The Spring Festival economy has achieved a 'good start,' laying a solid foundation for China's economic development throughout the year," remarked Denis Munnen, Executive Director of the China-Africa Center at the Kenya-based Africa Policy Institute. He pointed out that the international community maintains a positive outlook on China's economic fundamentals primarily due to the comprehensive developmental advantages formed through long-term accumulation: a complete industrial system, strong supply capacity, and vast domestic demand space provide solid support for stable economic operations; mature regulatory systems and ample policy tools enable more effective responses to cyclical fluctuations. "As domestic demand potential continues to be unleashed and reform measures are consistently implemented, the Chinese economy is expected to advance towards higher quality and more sustainable development," Munnen added.
"Spring Festival consumption transcends borders, connects the upstream and downstream of industrial chains, drives agricultural product imports and exports and tourism growth, and also promotes transnational cooperation in logistics, e-commerce, finance, and other fields," said Thanongkhanh Vongsanthilath. "Relying on its super-large market, China persists in expanding opening-up, facilitating personnel exchanges, deepening economic and trade cooperation, and promoting open win-win outcomes through practical actions, sharing opportunities with the world."
"The Spring Festival consumption boom highlights the potential of the Chinese market and the effectiveness of its macroeconomic policies," stated Laijan Ronodiprojo, a researcher at the ASEAN-China Studies Center of the University of Indonesia. He expressed that despite a complex and changing global economy, external confidence in China's economic fundamentals remains. Zia Ijaz, President of Pakistan's Askari Bank, stated, "This year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period. The vibrant Spring Festival economy not only showcases the vigorous vitality of the Chinese economy but also demonstrates the high confidence of the Chinese people in their own economy. Technological innovation, green development, and other factors continuously inject new momentum into the Chinese economy. A stable, healthy, and continuously progressing Chinese economy is worthy of optimism."
Gerald Mbenda, a Rwandan media professional, authored a signed article on the "China-Africa Review" website, drawing a connection between the imagery of the horse and China's high-speed rail trains. The article suggested that China's high-speed trains represent a "new form of horsepower" – no longer reliant on muscle and running but stemming from innovation, engineering, and foresight. "The Year of the Horse is far more than just a yearly symbol; it reflects a nation confidently and purposefully galloping towards the future."
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