The introduction of a spring break for primary and secondary schools in Jiangsu this year, combined with the Qingming Festival, created a six-day holiday. Data from Trip.com Group Limited shows that from April 1st to 6th, travel bookings from Jiangsu users increased by 93% year-on-year, with family trips accounting for 37% of the total. Hotel and attraction ticket bookings both rose by over 60%.
This year's government work report proposed "supporting eligible regions in implementing spring and autumn breaks for schools and implementing a system for staggered paid leave for employees," as well as "coordinating efforts to boost consumption and expand investment, creating new space for domestic demand growth." The initial performance of Jiangsu's spring break provides a vivid illustration of this policy - it is not merely an extension of days off but a tangible engine for consumption. The concentrated release of family travel demand, coupled with rapid responses from attractions, hotels, and platforms, is forming a spring consumption boom centered around family-oriented activities.
Official monitoring data reveals that during the three-day spring break (April 1st-3rd), Jiangsu received 14.737 million tourist visits, generating 6.885 billion yuan in consumption, representing year-on-year increases of 31.11% and 32.51% respectively. The subsequent Qingming holiday (April 4th-6th) saw 25.2066 million visits and total tourist spending of 27.178 billion yuan, up 10.6% and 11.1% year-on-year. The combination of spring break and Qingming resulted in double-digit growth in both visitor numbers and spending.
Trip.com Group Limited data indicates that the proportion of family travelers from pilot cities increased from 32% to 59%, surpassing non-family travelers for the first time to become the dominant group. In terms of travel preferences, bookings for cultural heritage sites surged nearly 3.5 times year-on-year, while theme parks and natural heritage sites accounted for 55%-65% of spring break visitors.
The successful implementation of spring break depends on whether parents can take simultaneous leave. Human resources departments and trade unions across Jiangsu issued early recommendations encouraging employers to arrange staggered leave for employees to accompany their children during the break. Practical feedback shows many companies responded positively, gradually easing the difficulty parents faced in taking leave.
A small survey conducted among parents at a Nanjing primary school found that out of 30 parents, 12 reported their workplaces approved flexible leave arrangements or annual leave during the spring break, a significant increase compared to previous Qingming holidays. One Nanjing parent noted her employer specifically issued a notice encouraging staff with children to take leave during the break, enabling a three-day trip to Hangzhou.
Some companies have taken more proactive measures. Trip.com Group Limited introduced "accompanying children leave" last April - three additional paid days off annually for employees with children under 18. To date, over 13,000 employees have utilized this benefit. During this year's spring break, nearly 100 employees at the company's Nantong customer service center applied for this leave, achieving "paid parenting travel."
The market has responded quickly with upgraded services. Venues like Nanjing Museum and Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum added special family booking zones, increasing daily reservation-free admission by 6,000 slots. Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo distributed 45,000 free tickets and conducted over 60 science education activities, extending nature education outdoors.
The hotel industry has actively adapted. Jinling Hotel launched "family study tours · career exploration journeys" with star-rated buffets and family swimming experiences. Yangzhou Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort created packages combining private hot springs, attraction tickets, and local cultural performances. All rooms at the resort were fully booked from April 1st-6th, with family-specific rooms selling out by mid-March.
Online travel platforms have enhanced travel experiences through optimized supply and precise demand matching. Trip.com Group Limited launched family-themed products across 17 provinces, featuring experiences like Sanxingdui archaeological studies and Du Fu Thatched Cottage tours with character guides. The platform's family hotel rating system evaluates facilities, activities, service, surroundings, and reputation, reducing average decision-making time by over 50% while offering one-click add-ons like camping and transportation services.
A company representative stated that platform efforts help cultural tourism businesses with digital transformation, creating immersive and personalized experiences that align with policy directions for quality upgrades during spring break, making family travel more convenient.
The initial performance of Jiangsu's spring break demonstrates it is more than an additional holiday - it represents real consumption growth driven by institutional innovation. Families can avoid peak season crowds through staggered travel, while attractions achieve more balanced visitor distribution throughout the year. Family products and services are evolving from basic to sophisticated under market pressures.
Increasing numbers of companies are adapting to the spring break system through various leave arrangements. Trip.com Group Limited's early adoption of special parenting leave shows that when corporate benefits synchronize with public holidays, both employee satisfaction and consumption vitality improve.
The market response has been rapid, with growing supply of family education products, theme parks, and resort hotels. High-quality, standardized family services are becoming new growth drivers for the tourism industry. The value of spring break economics extends beyond single-holiday consumption figures, validating a feasible policy approach: activating time-based benefits through institutional supply, transforming low seasons into new consumption scenarios. When educational leave policies, corporate employment systems, and cultural tourism upgrades converge, domestic demand growth finds a new "temporal anchor."
Comments