Chongqing - Recent data from China's online travel agencies such as Ctrip, Fliggy, and Lifestyle platforms Dianping showed that this year's pent-up travel demand would probably be significantly released making this year's May Day holiday one of the busiest in recent years. Chongqing's tourism popularity topped in the country.
The Hongya Cave scenic area is bustling with tourists. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
"In terms of holiday length, the May Day holiday has five days. Consumer pent-up travel demand since February is expected to be released during the May Day holiday, and major domestic tourism cities and vacation destinations will benefit as a result. Outbound travel is also expected to see a small peak during the May Day holiday," said Fang Zexi, an industry analyst at Ctrip Research Institute.
The Qiansimen Bridge once prohibited vehicle traffic, making it easier for tourists to take photos. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
Domestic tourism has reached new highs in recent years
According to Ctrip data, domestic tourism orders increased more than sevenfold compared to last year. The per capita consumption of domestic tourism remains nearly the same as last year.
In terms of travel distance, over 60 percent of May Day long-distance travel bookings were made. Long-haul travel orders rose by 811 percent compared to last year. Local travel orders experienced a relatively smaller year-on-year growth, indicating that more tourists are eager to travel further.
During the May Day holiday, the highest overall tourism registrations were for Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Changsha. Booking volumes in many places surpassed the same period in 2019. Popular tourist destinations such as Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Suzhou, Fuzhou, and Zhuhai saw an increase of over 30 percent compared to 2019.
Fliggy data also reveals that May Day holiday bookings have surged in advance. The current booking volume has grown more than five times compared to last year, with over 80 percent of bookings being for inter-provincial or outbound travel.
Meituan and Dianping data show that as of April 10, domestic tourism orders for the May Day holiday have increased by about 200 percent compared to the same period in 2019, reaching a five-year high. People from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Wuhan tend to have stronger travel desires.
"On April 15, the train tickets for the May Day holiday will go on sale, which is expected to bring a stronger increase to the tourism market," said Lu Mengxi, Dean of the Meituan Research Institute of Tourism.
"As the holiday approaches, the remaining supply of tourism products will become less, so it is recommended that proper travel plans should be made in advance for better prices and an enhanced travel experience."
Car rental orders increased by over 80 percent year on year
It is worth noting that self-drive travel has become a popular choice during this holiday season, reflecting consumer demand.
Examining domestic self-drive travel, car rental orders on the Ctrip platform during the May Day holiday have increased by over 80 percent yearly. Fuzhou, Lanzhou, Dalian, Weihai, Nanchang, Yining, Huangshan, Shantou, and other cities ranked high in terms of rental order growth, becoming new popular destinations for self-drive travel during this year's May Day holiday. Rental orders in these areas have increased by more than 200 percent compared to 2021.
Furthermore, influenced by the trend of long-distance travel during this year's May Day holiday, the average rental price on the Ctrip platform doubled compared to last year. The length of time and distance for rentals have also increased.
Outbound tourism bookings increased by over 18 times
This year's May Day holiday has been a highlight for outbound tourism. According to Ctrip data, the overall booking volume for outbound tourism products increased by over 18 times year-on-year, with the average one-way airfare for outbound flights priced at 2,564 yuan, a 58 percent decrease from last year.
The top ten popular destinations for outbound tourism are Thailand, Hong Kong SAR China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Macao SAR China, the United States, Indonesia, and the Philippines. With the resumption of cross-border trains from Guangdong to Hong Kong, the convenience for mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong has greatly improved. The number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong during the May Day holiday increased by 213 percent compared to early April (April 1st to 5th), and the number of group tours to Hong Kong increased 7.2 times compared to early April.
In terms of outbound group tours, the number of bookings for overseas group tours during the May Day holiday increased by 157 percent compared to early April. Thailand, Singapore + Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macao, Maldives, Dubai + Abu Dhabi, Bali, New Zealand, Egypt, and Vietnam are among the top popular outbound group tour destinations during the May Day holiday.
Outbound tourism is mainly dominated by young people, with 18 to 40-year-old outbound group tourists accounting for nearly 70 percent of the total, and tourists aged 25 to 35 accounting for over 40 percent. Among them, family travel accounted for more than 30 percent; the proportion of couples traveling together is also high, exceeding 20 percent.
(Zhu Ziyuan, as an intern, also contributed to the report.)