Spring Cultural and Tourism Market Continues to Warm Up; Multiple Business Formats Collaborate to Activate New Consumption Momentum

“Thought the post-holiday period would be very quiet, but it turned out that everyone wanting to avoid peak times is all gathering together.” Recently, multiple tourists shared photos of crowded scenic spots on social media. After the peak holiday season of the Chinese New Year, the domestic cultural and tourism market has not entered the traditional off-season. Instead, it shows vibrant activity with “off-season not dull” momentum. Scenic spots, theme resorts, and cruise companies across the country are seizing the spring consumption opportunity by launching targeted measures to promote continuous upgrades in cultural and tourism consumption.

The vitality of the post-holiday cultural and tourism market is mainly driven by precise policies of free admission at scenic spots in many provinces nationwide, combined with the concentrated release of off-peak travel demand. According to Tongcheng Travel data, as of March 4, search and booking activity for hotels and scenic tickets on the platform has significantly declined from the peak during the Spring Festival, but still increased by over 10% compared to the same period last year. Some popular scenic spots saw search volume increase by up to 2.6 times month-over-month. The source structure of travelers has also shifted noticeably. During the Spring Festival, main activities like returning home and inter-provincial travel are gradually fading, with local and nearby trips becoming mainstream. The travel radius has shortened, but travel frequency has significantly increased. To further activate the market, provinces like Jiangxi, Henan, Liaoning, Zhejiang, and Anhui are implementing limited-time free admission policies at scenic spots. Some scenic spots are offering exclusive benefits to specific groups. On the Tongcheng Travel platform, searches for keywords like “free scenic spots” and “off-peak travel” increased by 358% month-over-month. Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area, Shenyang Palace Museum, and Lushan Scenic Area are among the top in popularity for free admission spots. Notably, in March, Jiangxi’s Lushan Scenic Area is offering free admission to all domestic and international visitors, leading to a 156% increase in search volume and a 23% rise in nearby hotel bookings compared to last year. Henan’s Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area is offering free tickets to visitors from four provinces, with search volume up 244%. Shenyang Palace Museum is providing limited free tickets to local residents, with reservation demand soaring and tickets being snapped up immediately upon release. As International Women’s Day approaches, scenic spots like Huangshan in Anhui, Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, and Pingshan Forest Park in Nanjing are offering limited-time free tickets to female travelers, resulting in search volume increasing by over 1.8 times. The “free ticket effect,” combined with weekend benefits, has driven a more than 65% week-over-week increase in related travel product bookings.

Tongcheng Research Institute points out that, besides the stimulus from free admission policies and the dominance of local travel, the off-peak travel demand from office workers and the elderly is also a key factor in maintaining the lively spring cultural and tourism market. As the weather warms, activities like “flower viewing” and “spring outings” continue to heat up, and a new travel peak is expected in late March.

While traditional scenic spots focus on spring markets, theme resorts are accelerating product innovation and upgrades, centered on IP collaborations and immersive experiences, to create spring-specific cultural and tourism products and further enrich consumption scenarios. Beijing Universal Beijing Resort, leveraging its fifth anniversary celebration, has upgraded its spring seasonal theme event from “Universal Spring Carnival” to “Universal Infinite Spring,” running from March 20 to May 31. It features popular IPs like “Genshin Impact” and “Chang’an San Wan Li,” creating cross-dimensional immersive experiences. The newly launched celebration! Bang Bang Action - “Genshin Impact” badminton festival interactive zone recreates Mondstadt scenes, with character interactions, specialty dining, and merchandise sales to meet fans’ expectations. For the first time, a collaboration with a domestic animated film, “Chang’an San Wan Li,” has created a Tang Dynasty-themed banquet - an interactive restaurant blending traditional aesthetics with food, performances, and interactions, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. Additionally, the park has introduced upgraded experiences like the Infinite Spring Carnival, Harry Potter’s Magical World™ Butterbeer™ season, and global pop music events, paired with spring-limited dining, merchandise, and vacation packages. Flexible ticketing options are also available to meet diverse consumer needs, continuously igniting spring tourism enthusiasm.

Beyond scenic spots and theme resorts, the cruise industry is actively expanding into the spring market by innovating event formats to promote cruise culture and stimulate maritime cultural tourism. Aida Cruises announced on March 3 that starting March 5, it will launch a one-month “2026 Cruise Carnival,” using online and offline activities to popularize cruise culture and support high-quality cruise economy development. The highlight of this carnival is a live broadcast event with 100 participants held in Baoshan Riverside, Shanghai on March 9, showcasing the features of cruise travel.

Editor: Meng Lingjin, Xu Nan

(Compiled from Tongcheng Travel, Beijing Universal Beijing Resort, Aida Cruises, and others)