Chongqing — At a farmhouse guesthouse nestled in the mountains of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Zhang Yong and his wife spent the morning cleaning rooms, washing linens and stocking fresh ingredients, expecting the annual wave of visitors seeking relief from the summer heat.

Instead, the phones remained quiet.

"At this time in previous years, our rooms were almost fully booked," Zhang said from Qingshui Village in Wulong District. "This year, we haven't received a single reservation."

While some traditional mountain retreats are seeing fewer visitors, China's broader summer tourism market is thriving as travelers embrace longer journeys, immersive experiences and new destinations.

Data from several online travel platforms show strong growth in summer bookings, with demand rising for domestic vacations, outbound travel, family holidays, educational trips, graduation travel and summer escapes. Reservations for private tours, boutique small-group itineraries and in-depth single-destination experiences have also increased significantly compared with last year.

The shift reflects changing consumer preferences, with travelers increasingly prioritizing authentic experiences over simply checking off popular attractions.

For many residents of Chongqing, where summer temperatures often exceed 35°C (95°F), escaping the heat remains a seasonal tradition. But where they choose to go—and what they hope to gain from the journey—is changing.

After comparing destinations across the country, retired Chongqing resident Liu selected Puzhehei in Yunnan Province for a monthlong summer stay.

The destination appealed to him not only for its cooler climate but also for its ethnic culture and relatively undiscovered atmosphere.

Lotus flowers bloom across Puzhehei Scenic Area in Yunnan Province during the summer. (Photo/Xinhua)

"I used to spend my summers in the mountains of Chongqing or nearby provinces like Guizhou and Hubei," Liu said. "But after visiting those places repeatedly, I wanted something different."

He said short-video platforms introduced him to a wider range of destinations across China, inspiring him to travel farther in search of new experiences rather than returning to familiar resorts.

"I want every trip to be different," he said.

According to data from online travel agency Trip.com, Liu's travel choices reflect one of the strongest trends shaping China's summer tourism market. Chongqing ranks among China's top 10 source markets for summer travelers and among its top 10 destinations.

Although cooler weather remains a primary consideration, travelers are expanding the distance they are willing to travel.

Long-haul trips now account for more than 70% of summer travel bookings on the platform, with double-digit year-on-year growth recorded for destinations across Northeast, Northwest and Southwest China.

Popular itineraries include loop routes through Xinjiang, Qinghai and Gansu; the grasslands around Hohhot; and western Sichuan and western Yunnan.

Tongcheng Travel reported similar trends, identifying Chengdu, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Chongqing, Harbin and Shenyang as the country's most popular summer travel destinations.

The platform also reported growing demand for destinations known for distinctive natural scenery and cultural heritage, reflecting rising interest in niche tourism and immersive travel experiences.

"The competition for tourists is no longer limited to neighboring cities," said Zhang Dawei, regional government affairs general manager at Trip.com. "Destinations are competing nationally and even globally. To remain competitive, they need distinctive tourism products, stronger services and more diverse visitor experiences."

Family travel is also reshaping China's tourism landscape this summer.

Families enjoy attractions at Meixin Red Wine Town in Fuling District, Chongqing. (Photo/Interviewee)

At Meixin Red Wine Town Scenic Area in Fuling District, families are sketching landscapes, observing birds in wetlands, picking seasonal fruit, making traditional handicrafts and participating in farming activities.

For many parents, travel has become an extension of the classroom.

"Learning doesn't only happen in books," said Li, a father visiting from Hunan Province with his wife and child.

Work commitments prevented the family from traveling during his child's spring break, so they chose to begin their summer vacation early, avoiding peak-season crowds while encouraging their child's curiosity through hands-on experiences.

According to Zhang Lu of Chongqing China International Travel Service, family travelers now account for about 40% of the summer tourism market as schools across China begin their summer holidays.

Industry data suggest parents are increasingly looking for educational value alongside recreation.

Tongcheng Travel reported that family travel bookings have increased 18% year-on-year. Ticket bookings for museums, theme parks and zoos rose 76%, while demand for educational experiences—including nature programs, intangible cultural heritage workshops and science-themed tours—increased 86%.

The findings suggest parents increasingly value active participation and meaningful learning opportunities over traditional sightseeing.

"The biggest change in the family travel market is the integration of travel and education," said Luo Zibai, chief expert at the Yangtze River Tourism Research Base of the China Tourism Academy. "Destinations should improve family-friendly services, expand educational programs and better integrate local culture into tourism experiences."

Outbound travel is also recovering strongly this summer as international flight capacity continues to expand, more destinations offer visa-free access for Chinese travelers and airfare becomes increasingly affordable.

According to Tuniu, many popular long-haul outbound tour packages have already sold out, while bookings for short-haul international destinations continue to rise.

Popular destinations include the Maldives, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.

Travel platform Qunar reported that more residents from China's smaller cities are taking their first overseas trips this summer.

Bookings for what the company describes as travelers' "first international flight" increased by nearly 20% year-on-year among residents of third-tier cities and smaller urban areas.

Among first-time international travelers, bookings to Thailand increased 3.6-fold compared with the same period last year, while bookings to South Korea and Indonesia rose by more than 50% and 30%, respectively.

Family travelers account for nearly 40% of international flight bookings during the summer season, while university students aged 19 to 22 represent the fastest-growing outbound travel segment, with bookings increasing about 60% year-on-year.

Seoul, Bangkok and Singapore rank among the most popular overseas destinations, while South Korea's Jeju Island has become a favored graduation trip destination, benefiting from its visa-free entry policy for Chinese tour groups and its popularity on social media.

"Travel itself is no longer the final goal," Zhang said. "More consumers are looking for 'tourism-plus' experiences that combine travel with culture, education, technology and other activities. The industry needs to respond by offering higher-quality, more integrated tourism products."

Luo said destinations hoping to capitalize on the growing summer tourism market should focus on improving visitor comfort, expanding tourism offerings and strengthening regional cooperation to deliver richer, more memorable travel experiences.