TONGCHENGTRAVEL: Crossing New Year's Eve with Full Ceremony, Enjoy Fireworks Show, Watch Concert, and Pray for a Bright New Year's Day Highlight.

Countdown to the 2026 New Year's Day is in full swing. On December 5th, TONGCHENGTRAVEL released the "2026 New Year's Day Holiday Travel Trends Report" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"), showing that in the past month, the search volume for keywords such as "crossing the year" and "New Year's Day" on the platform has increased by over 280% compared to the previous month. As we enter December, the bookings for flights, hotels, and homestays for the New Year's Day holiday have gradually increased, with an overall booking heat rising by nearly 30% compared to the same period last year. As the first long holiday of 2026, the three-day New Year's Day holiday will further stimulate travel demand. Under the two main trends of "ice and snow tour" and "winter escape tour", some users prefer a more relaxed and spontaneous approach, opting for short-distance trips within a radius of 100 to 300 kilometers; while others choose to extend their holiday through "joining holidays" and kick off the new year with their first outbound trip, creating a pattern of intertwined short and long-distance travel both domestically and internationally. The report shows that a large number of users, especially young users, pay great attention to how to have a "ritual-filled" New Year's Eve. Various novel and interesting New Year's Eve activities are highly praised, such as countdown to zero under fireworks, cheering and swaying at concerts, and praying for the new year, all adding new highlights to the New Year's Day holiday. "One of a kind" New Year's Eve guide A dazzling fireworks show and a lively, festive atmosphere on New Year's Eve can be considered a perfect match. Many large theme parks plan special New Year's Eve fireworks shows, making theme parks a popular choice for users to celebrate the New Year. According to the report, the top 10 hottest tourist destinations for the New Year's Day holiday include places like Beijing Universal Resort, Zhuhai Chimelong Ocean's King Lighting Science & Technology National, Harbin Ice and Snow World, Laojun Mountain Scenic Area, among others, with theme park attractions occupying 4 spots on the list. Shanghai Disneyland Resort ranks high on the list with its "Light Up the New Year" castle projection show and fireworks display. In addition, cities planning fireworks shows will also attract many users. As various regions announce their New Year's Eve fireworks schedules, it is expected that the hotel booking heat near the fireworks show venues will continue to rise. "Attending a concert for New Year's Eve" has become a popular trend. According to incomplete statistics, concerts on New Year's Eve will be held in cities like Guangzhou, Chongqing, Beijing, and Chengdu. On the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform, the booking heat for flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Chengdu during the New Year's Day holiday has been steadily increasing, and there has been a noticeable increase in the search volume and booking heat for hotels around the concert venues. Currently, young people are increasingly seeking spiritual fulfillment through prayers. The report shows that during the New Year's Day holiday, there is a growing demand for activities like listening to bells and burning incense for blessings. Temples like Hanshan Temple in Suzhou, Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, and Longhua Temple in Shanghai have garnered high levels of attention, with an overall increase in attention of over 80%. Particularly noteworthy is the recent policy of free admission to Lingyin Temple at the beginning of this month, which is expected to attract a wave of visitors seeking blessings for the new year. For users who don't like crowded places, some choose to head to places like Wanning, Lingshui, or Sanya to find a beach, listen to the waves quietly, and step into 2026. Or they may just stay in a hotel or homestay, stock up on snacks and drinks, and watch New Year's Eve countdown shows on major TV networks, waiting for midnight to arrive. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, to enjoy the New Year's Eve celebrations, many users prefer to choose hotels with high-definition, large-screen projection equipment. During the New Year's Day holiday, room types like "Premium Audio and Video King Room," "HD Oversized Bed Room," and "Exclusive Cinema King Room" are popular among users, with booking heat increasing significantly compared to other room types. Traveling both north and south, experiencing the "contrasts of ice and fire" Continuing the two mainstream winter travel trends of "ice and snow tour" and "winter escape tour", during the New Year's Day holiday, users from southern cities head north to enjoy the snow and ice, while users from northern cities head south to experience spring-like weather. On the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform, the booking heat for flights to popular ice and snow destinations like Harbin, Changchun, Changbai Mountain Tourism, Altay, and Urumqi during the New Year's Day holiday has been increasing, and the strong demand has pushed up flight prices. For example, in early December, flights from Shanghai to Harbin were priced below 500 yuan, but for flights departing on December 31st, prices exceeded 1200 yuan, more than doubling the original cost. Within the ice and snow tourism trend, users are diversifying their travel destinations and activities. Destinations like Mohe Arctic Village, Wusong Island in Jilin, and Piyanshan in Yanji are attracting more attention, with Mohe Arctic Village seeing a 23% increase in ticket sales before New Year's Day, and Wusong Island one-day tours on the platform experiencing an increase in bookings. The southwest region, with its magnificent snow-capped mountains and glaciers, is gradually catching up with the northeast in terms of ice and snow tourism. The report shows that during the New Year's Day holiday, Deqen's Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan, Ganzi's Mount Gongga in Sichuan, Lijiang's Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Yunnan, and Aba's Tagong Glacier in Sichuan all make it to the top 20 list of popular ice and snow destinations. Currently, homestays tagged with "overlooking Jade Dragon Snow Mountain" are in high demand, and several Jade Dragon Snow Mountain homestays listed on the TONGCHENGTRAVEL app show limited availability during the New Year's Day holiday. In addition, large indoor ski resorts have become a preferred option for some users during the holiday. Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL shows that as of December 5th, the booking heat for New Year's Day holiday stays at indoor ski resorts like Shanghai Snow Dream Ice and Snow World, Shenzhen Huafa Ice and Snow Miracle, and Suzhou Taicang Alps Snow World has been steadily increasing, with these venues ranking in the top 3 of popular indoor ski resorts. Winter escape tourism is also a popular theme for the New Year's Day holiday. On the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform, the booking heat for flights from major cities like Beijing and Tianjin to popular winter escape destinations like Sanya, Haikou, Kunming, Guangzhou, and Xiamen has increased by 36% compared to the previous month. Popular routes include Beijing-Sanya, Beijing-Haikou, Xi'an-Guangzhou, Xi'an-Sanya, and Tianjin-Xiamen. Compared to frolicking in the snow, tourists heading south for winter escape prefer a more "peaceful" experience, opting to relax in beachfront resorts. On the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform, the booking heat for Sanya hotels during the New Year's Day holiday has seen a significant rise, with a higher increase in demand for mid-to-high-end quality hotels, indicating that users are willing to pay for hotels with sea views and outdoor swimming pools. Multiple resorts located at Sanya Bay and Yalong Bay show high user engagement, with current hotel prices not significantly inflated, giving users a chance to snag a good deal. Vacationers looking to extend their holiday will embark on overseas trips, with increased popularity for long-haul destinations in Australia and Europe By taking three days off from December 29th to December 31st, users can enjoy an extended holiday and even travel abroad. On the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform, the booking heat for outbound tours, flights, group tours, and customized tours departing before and after December 27th (Saturday) has increased compared to the same period in previous years, with an overall increase in booking heat of over 30%. Neighboring countries within the "five-hour flight circle" such as Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan remain popular destinations for outbound travel. According to TONGCHENGTRAVEL data, during the New Year's Day holiday, popular outbound routes include Shanghai-Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai-Singapore, Beijing-Bangkok, Beijing-Singapore, Guangzhou-Ho Chi Minh City, among others. In terms of long-haul destinations, the booking heat for flights from domestic cities to countries like Australia, Turkey, Egypt, and Switzerland has seen an increase before and after the New Year's Day holiday. During their travels, many users choose to visit multiple cities within a single country. The report shows that many users headed to Southeast Asia during the New Year's Day holiday will include island destinations on their travel list. Among the top 10 island destinations, places like Mabul Island in Malaysia, Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, Bali in Indonesia, and Phuket in Thailand are among the most popular. Recently, countries like Russia have announced visa-free policies for Chinese citizens. This convenience, combined with the release of demand during the New Year's Day holiday, is expected to stimulate a wave of outbound travel. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that with the visa-free policy in effect, many users are taking the opportunity to chase the aurora in Russia during the New Year's holiday, with the booking heat for flights from major cities like Shanghai and Beijing to Moscow increasing by 60%, and hotel bookings also showing a growth of about 50%.