Passengers are pictured at the waiting hall of Tianjin West Railway Station in Tianjin, north China, Oct. 7, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)

Beijing - Nearly 5 billion domestic trips were recorded in China in the first three quarters of the year, marking a year-on-year increase of 18 percent, according to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Tuesday.

A total of 4.85 trillion yuan (about 684 billion U.S. dollars) was spent by domestic tourists during the nine-month period, up 11.5 percent from the same period in 2024.

Urban residents remained the primary engine of China's domestic tourism. They made nearly 3.8 billion trips, with total spending reaching 4.05 trillion yuan, according to the data.

Notably, the number of domestic trips made by rural residents increased by 25 percent year on year, with a 24 percent rise in spending.