Experts report big boom in summer travel

China's tourism market rebounded strongly this summer, with travel experts reporting significant growth in passenger numbers, spending, and both inbound and outbound trips as the country continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Domestically, travel surged during the summer holiday, which typically runs from early July to late August. The Civil Aviation Administration reported that domestic airlines transported 117 million passengers from July 1 to Aug 20.

Meanwhile, China Railway Group said it handled 887 million passengers from July 1 to Aug 31, a 6.7 percent increase year-on-year.

"Summer is always peak season for domestic tourism, but this year, tourists showed more interest in lesser-known destinations and traveled with more reasonable budgets," said a spokesperson for Tuniu, a travel portal.

The domestic tourism market performed more evenly throughout the summer, with demand peaking in mid-July and lasting through the end of August.

Long-distance tours and family trips were the most popular choices — in fact, over half of Tuniu's summer bookings were for far-flung destinations. Besides traditional tourist hot spots like Beijing and Shanghai, smaller destinations such as Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in Jilin province, Datong in Shanxi province, and Chengde in Hebei province gained popularity for their cultural offerings and cooler climates.

"I took my 6-year-old daughter to Yanji in late July," said Ye Xiao, a 31-year-old teacher from Beijing, speaking of the county-level city that serves as the seat of Yanbian. "The weather was pleasant, and we enjoyed exploring the Korean ethnic culture. It was a memorable trip with fewer tourists and great food at reasonable prices."

China's inbound tourism also experienced robust growth, buoyed by relaxed visa policies, including the 144-hour transit policy for citizens of 54 countries and the "ChinaTravel" topics that trended on international social media platforms.

The 2024 Paris Olympics provided an additional boost to outbound travel, with LY.com reporting a 300 percent increase in hotel bookings in Paris and neighboring areas and an 80 percent surge in flight bookings from China's major cities to the French capital.

Qunar, another travel portal, noted that bookings for domestic flights by travelers using non-Chinese passports were 1.8 times higher compared to last year. Trip.com Group reported a 70 percent year-on-year increase in mainland tourism bookings, with South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and the United States contributing the most visitors. Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou were the top destinations for international tourists.

Southeast Asia remained the top choice for Chinese traveling overseas due to cheaper flights, affordable hotels, and favorable visa policies.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, told China Central Television that this summer marked the highest level of travel enthusiasm in recent years, with increases in the number of travelers, tourism spending, and cross-border trips.