After the restart of China’s cross-provincial group tours, the number of online searches for travelling has soared, leading travel agencies and online travel companies to launch innovative travel products one after another.

A visitor takes photos of the sea at a cliff hotel on Nanji Island in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, July 29, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

"At the end of last year, I planned to let my parents travel to Yunnan this spring, and now they can finally make it," said Shao Ran, an employee of an Internet company in Haidian District of Beijing, adding that his parents had planned to go to southwest China's Yunnan province for a few days in the spring, but the plan was shelved due to the outbreak of the epidemic.

After the resumption of cross-provincial group tours, Shao Ran immediately booked a "Yunnan 5-night 6-day group tour" for his parents leaving from east China's Shandong province.

According to data from Ctrip, China’s online travel agent, the instant number of searches for group tours and independent travel in China has surged by 500 percent compared with that before the restart of cross-provincial group tours.

There is a strong demand for travelling behind the search surge. A recent survey conducted by Ctrip on two of the largest social media platforms in China, Weibo and WeChat, found that 88 percent of Ctrip users are willing to travel across provinces this year, a new high; more than 70 percent are willing to travel after the restart of cross-provincial group tours.

In terms of tourist destinations, users mainly prefer areas with lower risks and greater preferential policies.

The adjustment of traffic restriction policies in scenic spots will directly affect the recovery of the local tourism market based on the actual situation of the epidemic prevention and control work, said Wu Ruoshan, a researcher at the tourism research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Wu Ruoshan also noted that during the summer tourism season, the adjustment of cross-provincial group tours and restriction policies in scenic spots will be conducive to the further unleashing of tourism consumption demand, and will help promote the recovery of tourism, accommodation, catering, entertainment, shopping and other related industries.