A view of Beijing Daxing International Airport Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Daxing International Airport

Wednesday marks the tenth day of the Spring Festival travel rush, with passenger numbers continuing to climb as the holiday nears. Data from industry information providers and airlines showed a sharp drop in flights to Japan, while Thailand and South Korea have emerged as the top destinations for Chinese holidaymakers.

During the first week of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush from February 2 to 8, the number of flights on China-Japan routes dropped by 1,292 compared to the same period last year, marking a year-on-year decrease of 49.2 percent, industry information provider Flight Master told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Furthermore, all 58 China-Japan flight routes that operated during last year's Spring Festival travel rush have had their flights cancelled during the first week of this year's Spring Festival travel rush.

The data is echoed by statistics industry information provider Umetrip, which said on Wednesday that during the first week of the Spring Festival travel rush, the number of passengers traveling between China and Japan decreased by 54 percent compared to the same period last year.

The Shanghai-Osaka, Shanghai-Nagoya, Shanghai-Tokyo, Beijing-Osaka and Nanjing-Osaka routes saw the largest year-on-year decreases in flight volume. All flights on the Beijing-Nagoya, Nantong-Osaka and Beijing-Okinawa routes were cancelled, Umetrip said. 

China Eastern said on Wednesday that the top five popular international and regional destinations are Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Among these, Seoul saw the most significant growth in passenger traffic, marking a year-on-year increase of 11.7 percent.  

In the first 10 days of the Spring Festival travel rush, international flights departing from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other major cities, including Shanghai-Chiang Mai, Shanghai-Phuket, and Shanghai-Bali routes (to Southeast Asia); and Shanghai-Seoul, Shanghai-Busan, and other routes to South Korea—have consistently maintained load factors above 80 percent, with some flights exceeding 95 percent on certain days, China Eastern said.

Flight Master said on Wednesday that Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea remain the top choices for the tourists traveling abroad during the Spring Festival.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, visits to South Korea by Chinese tourists are on the rise this year, continuing last year's trend. The number of Chinese tourists who visited South Korea in January rose more than 20 percent year-on-year, surpassing the average growth rate of 19.1 percent in 2025, reported the Asia Business Daily. 

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea during the Lunar New Year holiday is expected to reach 190,000, a 44 percent increase year-on-year. Including tourists who arrive before the holiday to avoid peak crowds, total arrivals are expected to rise even further, the report said. 

Global Times