Many combined the recent Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday with their annual leave to create a 13-day-long break, boosting demand for long-haul trips. Chinese travelers also pursued autumn excursions and county-level getaways during the holidays, while consumption coupons invigorated tourism spending, and both outbound and inbound tourism grew simultaneously.
These findings were released in a report about travel consumption during the National Day holiday by online travel platform Ly.com, based on its bookings and other tourism data.
Cultural and tourism consumption coupons became a major catalyst for spending during the National Day holiday. Searching for coupons online before purchasing became a popular money-saving strategy among holidaymakers.
This year's coupons were more precisely targeted than before. Sichuan, for instance, issued special culture, tourism and sports coupons for the elderly and children, alongside general consumption coupons, to fuel family-oriented holiday travel. Several cities also stepped up accommodation coupons to drive hotel bookings.
Ly.com data showed that overnight visitor numbers to traditional long-haul destinations rose by more than 20 percent during the National Day holiday, while northwestern destinations such as Xinjiang, Ningxia, Qinghai and Gansu saw a growth of more than 30 percent.
Travelers also spent more time in each destination rather than rushing through several cities. The report said that more young travelers were willing to stay longer to experience local customs, culture and cuisine, boosting spending on accommodation, car rentals and self-driving tours.
Vibrant nightlife, concerts and sports competitions turned cities into popular overnight stay destinations, with hotel bookings surging greatly.
Cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu in Sichuan province rolled out nighttime museum openings. Evening performances at theme parks such as Shanghai Disney Resort and Beijing Universal Resort, further drew more visitors, satisfying their demands for entertainment and boosting overnight stays.
Activities ranged from enjoying the autumnal colors of forests to visiting ancient villages for shaiqiu — drying crops in autumn —and taking on classic self-drive routes. Northern autumn scenery in Altay in Xinjiang and Changbai Mountain in Jilin proved especially popular with travelers from southern China.
County-level destinations with picturesque scenery remained a favorite among holidaymakers, such as Huidong in Guangdong and Yangshuo in Guangxi.
Chinese outbound travelers still favored visa-free destinations such as Southeast Asia and South Korea. The report said that visiting a single country for in-depth travel was popular among younger tourists, with destinations such as New Zealand and Australia.
