Graduation travel season takes flight

China's national college entrance examination recently wrapped up, and the graduation travel season reached its first peak in early June. Online travel platform LY.com released a report on graduation travel on Wednesday, highlighting tourism consumption trends among high school graduates and those of the same demographic.

Data showed that as of June 10, searches for graduation travel on LY.com surged by over 300 percent month-on-month, while travel product orders from users aged 16 to 20 increased by 35 percent month-on-month.

When choosing travel destinations, young graduates value not only traditional factors, such as natural scenery and cultural heritage, but also local food experiences, cultural performances and esports events. It marks a shift among Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2009) travelers from traditional sightseeing to travel focusing on experiences and personal interests.

Young graduates are also expanding their travel radius. Data from LY.com showed that more than 70 percent of graduation trips are cross-provincial journeys, with the average travel distance growing by nearly 10 percent year-on-year. Chengdu in Sichuan province, Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Dali in Yunnan province rank among the top five most popular long-distance domestic destinations for the graduation season.

While some young graduates favor fast-paced travel, visiting two or three cities within three days, an increasing number are now choosing slow, relaxed vacations, staying over four days in coastal cities or ancient towns.

Additionally, flexible travel plans have become mainstream. Data from LY.com revealed that more young graduates book flights or hotels within three days before departure, and orders for travel products with free cancellation policies have increased by over 10 percent year-on-year.

Food-driven travel has emerged as a major highlight. Spicy hotpot in Chengdu and Chongqing, local noodles in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and Chaoshan's regional delicacies in Guangdong province are the most popular. Local scenic spots and homestays near food streets have seen robust growth in bookings.

According to LY.com, as of June 10, searches for concerts and music festivals on the platform have increased by 18 percent month-on-month. Many young tourists combine daytime scenic spots with evening concerts.

Esports competitions have also become a major driver of the graduation travel season, boosting demand for esports hotels in cities like Shanghai and Chengdu.

Thanks to the ongoing expansion of visa-free policies for Chinese citizens, outbound graduation travel is also gaining popularity, with Thailand, Singapore and Turkiye as top picks.