Mianyang Trials 4.5-Day Workweek to Boost Tourism and Consumer Spending
A regional policy experiment in China’s Sichuan Province is sparking nationwide interest as Mianyang City announces plans to pilot a 4.5-day flexible workweek. The initiative, outlined in the city’s recently published 2025 Consumer Revitalization Action Plan, proposes a “Friday afternoon + weekend”休假 model to encourage extended leisure time and stimulate economic activity.
Local authorities clarified that participation remains voluntary for eligible organizations, emphasizing this as an incentivized framework rather than a mandate. The policy aims to address two challenges simultaneously: addressing consumer spending sluggishness and alleviating tourism bottlenecks observed during traditional holiday rushes.
“This isn’t just about an extra half-day off,” a tourism industry analyst told CNBC. “It’s a structural adjustment to redistribute travel demand. When millions rush to destinations simultaneously during Golden Weeks, service quality inevitably drops. Staggered, shorter getaways could optimize resource allocation.”
Social media reactions reveal public enthusiasm, with trending hashtags like #2.5DayWeekend generating over 120 million views on Weibo. Many users highlighted practical benefits: “That extra half-day allows for stress-free Friday evening departures. You gain 12 daylight hours for short trips without battling holiday traffic,” commented one netizen.
Economic analysts note the policy’s timing aligns with China’s broader push to boost domestic consumption. Preliminary projections suggest regional tourism revenue could increase by 8-12% during trial periods, with hospitality and leisure sectors standing to benefit most.
While the model has drawn comparisons to Western compressed workweeks, Chinese policymakers appear focused on tourism economics rather than workplace productivity metrics. Success in Mianyang could prompt similar trials in other provinces, potentially reshaping China’s leisure economy landscape.
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