Chinese tourists opting for short trips, moon-viewing tourism products over upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival

Festive installations in celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival are seen in front of the Ruins of the St. Paul's in Macao, south China, Aug. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

Data provided by Chinese online travel agencies show that short-distance trips have become a major travel option for Chinese tourists during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional holiday for family get-togethers, with moon-viewing tourism products maintaining popularity among them.

This year, Chinese people will have a three-day holiday for the festival, starting Sept. 10.

According to data from China's leading online travel agency Ctrip, as of Aug. 30, orders for short trips for the Mid-Autumn Festival on the platform have rocketed 267 percent in the recent week from the week before, with cities in the Yangtze River Delta region and the Pearl River Delta region ranking as popular destinations.

Statistics from Fliggy, a burgeoning online travel platform in China, show that the booking volume of local hotels for the festival has increased by more than 1.7 times in the recent week from the week before, while orders of vacation products, including tickets for local scenic areas, have risen by over 2.3 times.

East China's Shanghai, and the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province, are the top three destinations for short trips during the festival.

Thanks to targeted COVID-19 control measures, the tourism consumption potential of Chinese people is expected to soar during the festival, with family reunion and short trips as the major traveling points, said Cheng Chaogong, chief researcher with a tourism research institute affiliated with the online travel agency Tongcheng Travel.

Multiple destinations and scenic areas have rolled out festival-themed activities, including themed fairs and garden parties relating to Hanfu, Chinese traditional clothing, to provide more consumption options for tourists. In Beijing, municipal parks, the National Botanical Garden, and the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture are holding 35 festival-themed activities both online and offline.

On Ctrip, the keyword search volume for "moon-viewing" has surged by over 423 percent in the recent week from the week before.

Data from Tongcheng Travel shows that moon-viewing activities and night tourism in scenic areas including Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, Shanghai Disney Resort, and Chimelong Paradise in Guangzhou, are particularly popular among tourists.