China witnessed a remarkable surge in holiday travel as people across the country celebrated the recently concluded Dragon Boat Festival on Monday, June 10. Official figures reveal that during the three-day festival, which ended on Monday, China’s transportation sectors handled approximately 637.62 million passenger trips.
This marks a significant increase of 9.4 percent compared to the same period last year, as reported by China’s Ministry of Transport on Tuesday.
SEE ALSO: Vuori opens first physical store in China
Chinese holidaymakers are expected to make a significant impact on the global travel industry, with data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) indicating that they will spend 1.8 trillion yuan (USD250 billion) on international trips this year. WTTC’s report, conducted with Oxford Economics, forecasts that Chinese tourists exploring domestic destinations will inject a 6.79 trillion yuan into the mainland economy this year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism tallied consumption over the Dragon Boat holiday at 40.35 billion yuan (about 5.67 billion U.S. dollars), up 8.1 percent versus last year. However, spend-per -traveller remains muted compared to 2019 levels, per a Bloomberg report.
Meanwhile, Fliggy, the online travel platform under Alibaba Group, has unveiled its data on Chinese tourist spending and activity during the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
Tourism bookings and per capita spending rise
Fliggy’s data reveals a remarkable surge in average booking volume and per capita spending by domestic tourists, reflecting a growing desire for enriching travel experiences within the mainland.
China’s major cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Nanjing, Wuhan, and Xi’an, remained top choices for domestic travellers during the holiday period.
While on holiday, immersive cultural tours that delve into China’s rich folklore and heritage experienced a surge in popularity among domestic tourists.
Cultural hotspots like Dunhuang in Northwest China, Tibet, and the Hulunbuir grasslands in Inner Mongolia, in particular garnered significant attention.
SEE ALSO: Lagardère Travel Retail publishes latest report on travel retail and dining trends
Japan remains popular
Despite a growth in domestic travel, outbound tourism also remains favoured, with nearby destinations such as Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and South Korea topping the list of preferred international getaways.
Independent outbound travel dominated bookings, accounting for over 80 percent of total bookings. This reflects the growing preference of Chinese travellers for spontaneous, personalised trips and leisure activities that break away from rigid itineraries, according to Fliggy.
Cross-border luxury cruise travel products witnessed robust growth, as international cruise bookings surged over 14 times compared to the same period last year.
“While China’s travel and tourism sector has shown signs of resilience, with a strong recovery in both its economic contribution and domestic travel spend, the much later reopening has meant international travel spend is off the pace,” said Julia Simpson, World Travel & Tourism Council president and CEO. “The new, more simplified visa application process is certainly a step in the right direction and should see more visitors from overseas this year and next.”