February 2026 WTA Industry News
WTA
Member News
1. ITB China Announces Georgia as Official Destination Partner for 2026
Source: TravelDaily
On February 2, ITB China officially announced that Georgia has been named the Official Destination Partner for ITB China 2026. As a leading B2B platform focused on China’s outbound travel market, ITB China will collaborate with the Georgia National Tourism Administration on multi-dimensional initiatives, including destination marketing, industry engagement, and business matchmaking. The partnership aims to further enhance Georgia’s visibility and deepen industry cooperation within China’s tourism sector.
2. Mafengwo Partners with Tongren to Showcase Intangible Cultural Heritage Through Technology
Source: Mafengwo
Ahead of the Spring Festival, a large-scale intangible cultural heritage (ICH) promotion campaign titled “TongRen.Grammy” was launched in Tongren, Guizhou Province, at the Mount Fanjing Scenic Area and Zhongnanmen Ancient Town, running until March 3.
Jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the Tongren Municipal Committee and travel community platform Mafengwo, the campaign integrated advanced robotic arm technology with cinematic slow-motion filming techniques inspired by the Grammy Awards. The initiative enabled visitors to create high-quality, cinematic ICH-themed videos.
Twelve representative ICH items were featured, including Shiqian “Spring Narratives,” Dejiang Nuo Opera, Sinan Lantern Opera, Yuping Xiao and Di flute craftsmanship, Shiqian puppet theater, and Songtao Miao Flower Drum Dance. Through immersive slow-motion filming, the campaign created memorable Spring Festival experiences for participants.
3. Emirates and Loong Air Sign Interline Agreement
Source: TravelDaily
On February 13, 2026, Emirates signed an interline agreement with Zhejiang Loong Airlines to further expand its network coverage in China. Under the agreement, Emirates passengers can connect via Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong to 22 destinations served on Loong Air across China.
The newly accessible destinations span East China, Northeast China, South China, Central China, and Southwest China, offering both business and leisure travelers greater choice and flexibility.
4. Meituan Users Visited an Average of 2.2 Cities During Spring Festival
Source: Meituan
On February 23, Meituan released its 2026 Spring Festival Consumption Insight Report. Driven by family reunions and the growing trend of “reverse holiday travel,” the top ten popular destinations were Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan.
Among county-level destinations, Yiwu (Zhejiang), Heshan (Guangdong), and Zhangjiagang (Jiangsu) ranked highest in tourism popularity during the holiday period.
Family travel continued to gain momentum, with bookings for children’s tickets up 76% year-on-year. Multi-generational travel emerged as a key trend, with total spending on group vacations increasing 79% compared to the previous year.
During the holiday, Meituan users visited an average of 2.2 cities, while the proportion of travelers visiting multiple cities rose by 50% year-on-year.
5. Domestic Travel Orders Hit Record High; Hotel Room Nights Up 75% During Spring Festival
Source: Fliggy
Fliggy data revealed that domestic travel orders reached a new record during the Spring Festival holiday. Attraction ticket bookings increased by more than 80% year-on-year, while hotel room nights rose by 75%.
The extended holiday further stimulated mid-holiday travel demand, with orders for trips departing between the second and fifth day of the Lunar New Year increasing by approximately 30% year-on-year.
Observations
1. UN Tourism: International Tourist Arrivals Reach Record 1.52 Billion in 2025
Source: Ecns.cn
On January 20, UN Tourism released its first World Tourism Barometer in 2026, reporting that global international tourist arrivals reached 1.52 billion in 2025—an increase of approximately 60 million from 2024.
Preliminary estimates indicate that international tourism receipts totaled USD 1.9 trillion in 2025, up 5% year-on-year. Total tourism export revenues, including passenger transport, are estimated at USD 2.2 trillion.
2. Nighttime Consumption Accounts for 32.9% of Daily Spending
Source: China Tourism News
The China Tourism Academy recently released the 2025 China Nighttime Economy Development Report. The report shows that demand for nighttime tourism is steadily growing.
From January to October 2025, nighttime spending accounted for 32.9% of total daily tourism consumption nationwide, while nighttime transactions represented 28.3% of total transactions.
The report highlights evolving consumer expectations across three key dimensions: diversity, novelty, and social interaction.
3. China’s Commercial Performance Box Office Exceeds RMB 61.6 Billion in 2025
Source: Xinhua Net
On February 13, the China Association of Performing Arts released its 2025 national performance market report.
In 2025, China recorded 640,400 commercial performances (excluding entertainment venue shows), representing a 6.58% year-on-year increase. Total box office revenue reached RMB 61.655 billion, up 6.39% year-on-year.
Large-scale performances (with audiences of over 5,000) generated RMB 32.448 billion in box office revenue.
The continued growth of large-scale events was driven by strong local policy support that stimulated market vitality, as well as the integration of live performances with regional tourism. The emerging “ticket-stub economy” further boosted consumer spending.
4. 596 Million Domestic Trips Made During the 2026 Spring Festival Holiday
Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of The People's Republic of China
During the 2026 Spring Festival holiday, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of The People's Republic of China organized a series of themed events under the campaign “Celebrate the New Year with Joy” and implemented measures to ensure market order and safety.
According to estimates from the Ministry’s data center, during the nine-day holiday period, domestic trips totaled 596 million—an increase of 95 million compared with the eight-day Spring Festival holiday in 2025.
Total domestic tourism expenditure reached RMB 803.483 billion, up RMB 126.481 billion year-on-year. Both visitor numbers and total spending reached record highs, with the national culture and tourism market operating in a stable and orderly manner.
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原标题：《February 2026 WTA Industry News》