Chinese officials are counting on a record 9.5 billion passenger trips during this year’s extra long 40-day Lunar New Year holiday to boost the economy. The holiday runs from February 15 to 23, with nine official holiday days instead of the usual eight. This longer break means more time for people to travel home and spend money. Although China lost its position as the world's most populous country to India in 2023, its annual "chunyun" or spring migration remains the world's largest mass movement of people. Hundreds of millions will travel to celebrate the New Year, making it a key time for boosting domestic demand. The government aims to “unleash the surging vitality that propels China’s economy forward,” according to a Jiangsu province propaganda article. To help, the government will issue over 360 million yuan in consumer vouchers in February. Experts see the Lunar New Year as a big sales boost, especially for retailers and service providers. But China still faces challenges with high household savings and reliance on exports, as last year’s retail sales growth (3.7%) lagged behind overall GDP growth (5%). The government plans to focus on boosting domestic consumption in its next five-year plan due in March. Expanding the service sector like elderly care, entertainment, and healthcare is seen as a key growth area. Entertainment is a big draw during the New Year. Last year’s hit film Ne Zha 2 set records with over 14 billion yuan in box office revenue. This year, new films Pegasus 3 and Scare Out will test if that success can continue. In a controversial move, a courier company briefly offered a “proxy Chinese New Year visit” service for 999 yuan, allowing users to have someone visit elderly relatives and perform traditional rituals via livestream. Public backlash led to its withdrawal. The longer holiday and government spending push aim to kindle stronger consumer demand and support China’s economic growth this year.