China’s thriving tourism fuels summer spending boom, signals robust growth potential

Tourists enjoy their leisure time at an ancient town in Zhongshan District of Liupanshui, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Aug. 8, 2024. Guizhou Province, with its cool climate and rich tourism resources, attracts tourists from all over the country during the peak summer travel season. (Photo: Xinhua)

China has witnessed a surge in tourism and consumer spending during the soon-to-end summer holidays, with trends of upgrading and diversifying consumer demand buoyed by the steady economic revival. Experts and industry insiders said that the momentum will extend into the coming seasons, indicating continued growth optimism.

In the first seven months of the year, inbound tourist arrivals surged 403 percent year-on-year to 5.722 million people. Inbound business visits jumped by 81.5 percent, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.

China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday attributed the recent "China Travel" fever online to the country's ongoing travel facilitation policies, such as expanded mutual visa exemptions and the 144-hour visa-free transit, which reflect China's genuine commitment to further opening-up.

Domestic travel also picked up this summer, with a notable rise in student, family, leisure, and business trips, leading to a significant increase in passenger flows.

China's railways recorded 802 million passenger journeys from the start of the summer transport season in early July through Sunday, up 6.2 percent year-on-year, China Media Group reported on Monday.

The tourism boom has also echoed across domestic tourism platforms. Qunar, a leading online travel service platform in China, reported that this summer is shaping up to be the busiest on record.

Building on 2023's heavy summer travel volumes, this summer has seen a robust rise in bookings for flights and hotels, particularly for accommodations at the county level, which jumped by 113 percent year-on-year, said Qunar.

Experts attributed the boom to the heightened spending vigor spurred by the economic revival and government push for high-level opening-up and high-quality services consumption, highlighting the shift toward a more sophisticated consumption structure and diverse consumer needs, driven by overall industry upgrades.

Hu Qimu, a deputy secretary-general of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50, told the Global Times on Tuesday that this summer's travel demand has been more diverse and complex, with new forms like study tours, family trips, and museum visits quickly gaining popularity.

"This trend highlighted the innovative vitality in China's tourism sector and its broader economic impact," said Hu. Upgrading demand will create extensive opportunities across various sectors, he added.

Earlier this month, the State Council released a comprehensive guideline to advance high-quality service consumption, emphasizing the optimization of cultural, tourism, and sports services. The guideline highlighted service consumption as a major driver for expanding and upgrading overall consumption.

Liu Yong, a travel enthusiast from Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he recently visited the ideal summer getaway Changbai Mountain in Northeast China's Jilin Province and was surprised by the tourist crowds.

"The peak travel season drew large crowds at some popular attractions, which had to impose visitor limits and require reservations," Liu added.

Experts said that sweeping incentive policies are swiftly coming into play, fueling continued growth in inbound and outbound tourism.