Qingming Festival, spring break boost tourism surge

The convergence of student spring breaks in multiple Chinese cities with the upcoming Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, has created an extended travel period from Wednesday to April 6, forming a key new growth opportunity for the tourism market, according to travel agencies.

Industry data showed that the six-day window is driving two distinct travel peaks and fueling a significant surge in domestic and outbound travel. This alignment has effectively bridged the gap between the Spring Festival and May Day holidays.

According to the latest booking figures from online travel agency Tuniu, the extended break will give rise to two distinct travel peaks. The first will occur on Wednesday and Thursday, driven primarily by families taking advantage of spring break, while the second peak will fall on Saturday, the first day of Qingming Festival, as vacationers head out for spring outings and flower viewing.

More than 70 percent of travelers planning trips in early April have chosen to set out between Wednesday and Friday, taking advantage of the staggered schedule to avoid congestion, Tuniu data showed. Nearly 65 percent of these travelers have opted for trips lasting three to five days, striking a balance between travel depth and the demands of work and school.

The spring break has unleashed a surge in family travel, with destinations such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Sanya in Hainan province, Xi'an in Shaanxi province and Nanjing in Jiangsu province emerging as top choices.

Bookings have risen sharply for theme parks such as Shanghai Disney Resort, Zhuhai Chimelong International Ocean Resort and Universal Beijing Resort, as well as botanical gardens, museums and science education venues.

The six-day break has also fueled demand for outbound travel. In addition to China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, tropical destinations such as Bangkok and Pattaya in Thailand, Bali, the Maldives, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are among the most booked overseas choices, according to Tuniu.

The travel platform Qunar also reported a marked increase in expected travel activity from Wednesday to April 6, driven by the combination of spring breaks and Qingming Festival. Bookings show that flight passenger volumes to popular cities have risen 30 percent year-on-year, with the number of under-18 air travelers expected to more than double.

Hotel bookings in Guangzhou surged 180 percent year-on-year, while Sanya saw a 140 percent increase. Luoyang in Henan province and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province each recorded gains of around 120 percent, and bookings in Beijing nearly doubled, according to Qunar.

Cities that implemented spring break policies are seeing particularly strong outbound travel demand. In Chengdu, Sichuan province, which accounted for the highest number of outbound flights during the period, the number of travelers scheduled to depart on Tuesday and Wednesday surged 160 percent from the previous two days. Departures scheduled for Wednesday alone rose 530 percent year-on-year.

Several cities with spring break travel policies also saw gains in inbound arrivals. In Yibin, Sichuan province, where scenic spots are offering free admission to primary and secondary school students and teachers throughout April, local hotel bookings from Wednesday to April 6 rose 160 percent year-on-year. Mianyang, also in Sichuan, saw hotel bookings increase 95 percent after offering joint ticket discounts for children and parents.

Yang Han, a researcher at Qunar's big data institute, said the alignment of spring break with Qingming Festival has significantly boosted travel demand and helped smooth out peak travel periods. "It offers travelers better value and a more comfortable experience," Yang said.

"For cities that introduced spring break policies, the effect has been twofold: sending travelers out while also attracting visitors — a new driver for the cultural tourism market between the Spring Festival and May Day holidays," she added.

Cheng Yuhan, a freshman at a university in Huai'an, Jiangsu province, will take a five-day break from Thursday to April 6, as her spring break aligns with Qingming Festival.

She planned to volunteer at a local kindergarten, attend marathon volunteer training, and then travel with her aunt and uncle from Saturday to Sunday to Changzhou and Suzhou in Jiangsu.

"They are very open-minded and let me plan the whole trip — the itinerary, routes, budget, accommodations, everything," Cheng said. "I'm really looking forward to it."

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn