ForwardKeys releases Lunar New Year travel trends report

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Travel research group ForwardKeys presents its travel trends report for the Lunar New Year, showing significant post-pandemic changes.

Current data reveals a significant post-pandemic rebound in Chinese outbound travel for the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) vacation.

The eight-day holiday from the 28th of January to the 4th of February has already prompted a surge in departures, with peaks recorded on the 18th and 25th of January as many travellers make their journeys in advance of the festivities.

According to China market analyst Nancy Dai: “The longer holiday period for CNY 2025, part of a government initiative to stimulate tourism and cultural exchange, is clearly having a positive impact on travel patterns. We’re seeing a clear trend of travellers departing earlier than the official holiday starts to avoid the rush, with another peak expected on 30th January, most likely driven by those seeking short-haul getaways after spending the first days of the holiday at home or with family.”

Eight relevant trends

As Chinese travellers take to the skies to enjoy an extended break, we’ve looked at some of the trends that are emerging from the Chinese New Year period in 2025, and how the data compares to last year’s holiday, and to pre-pandemic travel patterns.

Regional travel is close to recovery for CNY 2025

From 13th January to 16th February, we see a +48% year-on-year increase in outbound travel from China to other Asian destinations, closing the gap with 2019 levels to just 8%.

Visa-free Destinations exceed pre-pandemic numbers

ForwardKeys analysis highlights Malaysia, Singapore, and the UAE as standout performers, with growth of +41 percent, +26 percent, and +14 percent respectively, compared to their performance in 2019.

Chinese travellers to Japan double compared to last year

The depreciation of the Yen has made Japan an incredibly attractive option for Chinese travellers, resulting in a 104 percent increase compared to 2024, 20 percent higher than 2019.

Russia shows the largest recovery outside Asia

Chinese travel to Russia is up by 30 percent from 2024 and 39 percent above pre-pandemic levels, driven by the rising popularity of winter destinations, eased visa restrictions, and increased flight capacity.

Europe welcomes more Chinese travellers in 2025

As Chinese travellers embrace more long-haul options, Europe sees substantial growth over 2024 for France (+35 percent), the UK (+32 percent), Spain (+32 percent), Italy (+24 percent) and Germany (+20 percent).

Seat capacity gains drive Chinese travel recovery to North America

Increased seat capacity from China to Canada (+165 percent) and the USA (+42 percent) compared to 2024 has made North America more accessible to Chinese travellers this year, resulting in an uplift in visitors.

More Chinese travellers go solo than pre-pandemic

We’re seeing an increase in solo travellers and couples for regional travel, reflecting a growing preference among Chinese travellers for more independent travel experiences.

Traditional group travel is in sharp decline this CNY

Larger group travel involving six or more travellers is significantly down from 2019, showing a drop of 44 percent for regional travel and 52 percent for long-haul. This suggests that organised tours are less relevant to today’s Chinese travellers.

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