As China gears up for an eight-day holiday at the start of October, its tourism sector is bracing for a significant surge in activity. At the same time, a new proposal to introduce spring and autumn vacations for primary and middle school students is drawing widespread attention, with the potential to reshape how families plan their travels.
Earlier this month, a national policy document focused on expanding service consumption called for “optimizing student vacation arrangements” to stimulate new growth. One of the key measures was encouraging local governments to add short breaks in spring and autumn—without reducing annual teaching hours—to create more opportunities for tourism and leisure spending. This follows a March action plan to boost consumption, which proposed giving localities the flexibility to pilot spring or autumn breaks for students.
Several regions have already begun experimenting with the concept. Typically, these breaks add two to three days to the academic calendar, often coinciding with public holidays to create longer stretches of rest for family trips, leisure activities, and educational outings. Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, has offered spring and autumn vacations since 2004. In central Hubei Province, the city of Enshi introduced spring breaks for compulsory education students in 2014, later expanding the system to all schools in the prefecture. In August 2025, Foshan in southern Guangdong Province announced that during the 2025-26 school year, its compulsory education students would enjoy a three-day autumn holiday in November and a two-day spring break linked to the May Day holiday in 2026.
“If parents can align their paid leave with these spring and autumn breaks, they are more likely to travel—boosting service consumption,” noted Peng Peng, a social science researcher from Guangdong. Currently, most family travel in China is concentrated in summer and winter, which strains transportation networks, hotels, and tourist attractions. According to aviation data provider Flight Manager, air passenger traffic in July and August reached a record 150 million, while travel agency UTour reported that family trips accounted for over 60 percent of summer bookings.
Liu Deyan, an associate professor at Shanghai Normal University’s College of Tourism, highlighted that additional breaks could help rebalance the market. “Peak seasons are overcrowded, while off-seasons are too quiet,” Liu said. “For students, traveling in summer or winter means higher costs and packed destinations.” However, parents are divided on the proposal. Li Tingting, who lives in northern China’s Tianjin Municipality, expressed excitement about more flexible family travel options. But a mother from Zhoushan in eastern China, surnamed Liu, voiced concerns: “For dual-income families, an extra short break may mean more childcare challenges. It’s not always convenient”.
Education experts acknowledge the challenges. “The main obstacles are tight academic schedules and the added coordination required from schools and parents,” said Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences. The September policy document urged schools to adapt spring and autumn breaks to local conditions, factoring in climate, economic development schedules, and paid leave policies.
Some trial cities are already offering solutions. In April, Hangzhou schools launched childcare services during spring break, while in Hubei’s Lichuan City, schools aligned the break with the Qingming Festival this year and partnered with community groups to organize cultural and volunteer activities—keeping students engaged when parents were unavailable.
Supporters emphasize that the benefits extend beyond tourism. Social science researcher Peng noted that the breaks make the school holiday schedule more balanced, helping to ease academic pressure, promote students’ physical and mental well-being, and strengthen their overall health. In Lichuan, students returned from spring break with artwork and cultural projects inspired by their time off. “We need better holiday arrangements to help children experience seasonal culture and nature. It is also an important part of their education,” said Long Liangfu, a professor at the Zhongshan Institute of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
