An aerial view of a rapeseed flower fields in Hengyang, Southwest China's Hunan Province on March 13, 2026 Photo: VCG

Starting in mid-March, many regions across China entered the peak blossom season, with travel demand and related spending rising in tandem, driving a sustained pickup in flower-viewing and spring outings. 

Early cherry blossoms have begun to bloom in Beijing's Yuyuantan Park, with the viewing season expected to last until late April, according to the official WeChat account of the Beijing municipal government, Beijing Fabu, on Sunday. The blooming across major parks has translated into a sharp rise in consumer interest, with flower-viewing related searches in Beijing jumping more than 50 percent year-on-year, travel platform Qunar told the Global Times on Sunday.

Fliggy said that searches for terms such as "spring outings," "flower viewing," and "spring tours" have surged 380 percent month-on-month in March, reflecting a rapid release of pent-up travel demand.

Meituan Travel data also showed a strong uptick. As of mid-March, searches for "flower viewing" rose 222 percent compared with late February, while user reviews increased by 60 percent, pointing to a sustained rise in travel activity.

Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, one of China's best-known cherry blossom destinations, has seen a notable influx of visitors. 

The city has entered its peak flowering period, according to the 2026 cherry blossom forecast. Data from Qunar showed that flight bookings to Wuhan in March increased by 12.5 percent year-on-year.

The surge in flower-viewing trips is also feeding through to the accommodation sector. Data from the lodging rental platform Tujia showed that in mid-to-late March, the top five cities for homestay bookings were Dali, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou, with suburban properties in these destinations seeing bookings rise by about 20 percent year-on-year.

Fu Wanli, manager of Utree Pavilion, a Zen-inspired boutique guesthouse in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province, said that occupancy has picked up significantly in recent weeks. With azaleas and bougainvillea in full bloom both within the property and nearby, the guesthouse has attracted a growing number of visitors from northern China, he told the Global Times on Sunday.

"Building on the strong Spring Festival momentum, which saw local folk events drive a surge in tourist arrivals and push occupancy up by more than 20 percent year-on-year, demand has continued to accelerate into March - our rooms have been fully booked in recent days," Fu added.

Yang Yong, a tourism expert and professor at East China Normal University, said that China's "spring economy" is steadily expanding into more diverse consumption scenarios. 

Yang told the Global Times on Sunday that the "spring economy" boom reflects a shift toward more experience-driven consumption, with consumers favoring shorter, more frequent trips centered on seasonal activities, a trend that is accelerating the move toward high-frequency, lifestyle-oriented consumption.

Fu expected demand to remain robust through the upcoming Qingming Festival in April and the May Day holiday in May, with visitor flows likely to increase by at least 20 percent from a year earlier.

"Rising occupancy is also translating into stronger spending on nearby dining, cultural activities and local tourism experiences," he noted.