Tourists enjoy a digital presentation of the West Lake landscape using advanced technology at the West Lake Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on October 2 (XINHUA)

Traveling in China, especially during the annual National Day holiday, also known as Golden Week, offers an unmissable spectacle—the travelers themselves. This time of year, bathed in the gentle embrace of early autumn, boasts delightful weather and offers the gift of an extended holiday, beckoning people outdoors. With China's vast population, as people from all walks of life set forth on their trips, the fascinating panorama of bustling crowds becomes an integral part of the travel experience.

After three years under pandemic control measures, scenes of such bustling activity are even more cherished now they have returned. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, which celebrates family unity and fell on September 29, and the National Day, which is celebrated on October 1 and marks the founding of the People's Republic of China, aligned to create an extended eight-day "Super Golden Week." It was a double dose of joy for both individuals and the nation, making it an even more enticing time to travel.

The Super Golden Week holiday, from September 29 to October 6, painted a vivid picture of tourism flourishing across the country. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Chinese people made 826 million domestic tourist trips during the eight-day holiday, an increase of 71.3 percent from last year and a rise of 4.1 percent from 2019.

The domestic tourism market generated approximately 753.4 billion yuan ($103.2 billion) in revenue during the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 129.5 percent and a rise of 1.5 percent from that of the National Day holiday in 2019, the ministry said.

"The remarkable eight-day holiday, coupled with the synergistic impact of the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games and policy influences, has given rise to the hottest holiday tourism market on record," Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Academy, said in a recent report on this year's Golden Week tourism market released by the academy.

Indicators such as the average travel distance per visitor, tourism expenditure patterns and visitor satisfaction reveal that China's domestic tourism market has entered a new market-driven and innovation-oriented phase, Dai said.

A palette of possibilities

A wave of sports fever ignited by the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games, which spanned the Super Golden Week holiday, drew visitors from all corners of the country to the six host cities, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jinhua, Huzhou, Wenzhou and Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province, east China. On Fliggy, one of China's online travel platforms, hotel and homestay bookings for these cities during the holiday surged by over 60 percent compared to 2019.

Playing beach volleyball at an Asian Games venue, enjoying a City Boat ride in Hangzhou, savoring local delicacies and experiencing intangible cultural heritage at local markets are emerging as new immersive ways for young people to engage with the Asian Games and explore the host cities.

While indulging in the delights of Zhejiang's cities, overseas visitors coming to enjoy the games also began sharing their experiences and reviews on China's popular review app Dazhong Dianping. According to the app, there were nearly 300 new English reviews in the Hangzhou area during the games, with food and leisure activities being the top two types of businesses receiving new reviews.

"The success of Asian Games tourism reflects the evolving nature of tourism, which has shifted toward greater integration," Wu Liyun, an associate professor at the Institute of Chinese Culture and Tourism Industry of Beijing International Studies University, told CNR News. "Unlike the early stages of tourism development, where reliance was primarily on tourism resources, today, diverse industry sectors can collaborate to facilitate all-encompassing tourism growth."

Music festivals were also a highlight of the Golden Week. According to online travel booking platform Ly.com, music festivals have witnessed an unprecedented surge, with over 60 festivals taking place throughout the eight-day holiday, setting a new record. According to Damai, an online ticketing platform for live events in China, the previous record for the most music festivals during the National Day holiday was just over 20 in 2020.

A representative of Ly.com said music festivals and concerts have become vital attractions for young travelers in domestic destination cities. Not only has the overall number of events increased, but the consumer market for music performances has also expanded to second- and third-tier cities, as well as well-developed counties.

Beyond music, cultural experiences like visiting museums continue to be in high demand. China has emerged from the pandemic into the midst of a museum craze, and museums across China received approximately 66 million visits during the eight-day holiday, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

"As China's economy undergoes a rapid rebound, public enthusiasm for cultural and tourism consumption has increased. Local authorities are diligently working to unlock the latent potential of their resources and foster unique cultural and tourism intellectual properties," Chen Shaofeng, Vice President of the Institute for Cultural Industries at Peking University, said in an interview with China Economic Times.

Thanks to the influence of new media, less-popular tourist destinations have witnessed a significant influx of visitors this year. For many young tourists, the perfect scenario for a holiday involves choosing an off-the-beaten-path destination,

where they can unwind for a few days, wake up at their own pace, savor local snacks, take leisurely strolls through city streets, and relish their time without the constraints of a fixed agenda or any other pressures.

As per Ly.com, Alxa League in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, southwest China, and Shuanghe in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, were the top three lesser-known destinations during the holiday, where tourism interest increased more than threefold compared to the previous month. All of them, including other top-ranked lesser-popular destinations, feature stunning natural sceneries largely undiscovered by travelers.

Meanwhile, cities famous for their signature snacks such as Liuzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, south China, famous for luosifen, a dish of rice noodles served in a soup with pickled vegetables and other distinctive accompaniments, and cities of historical and cultural significance such as Kaifeng and Luoyang in Henan Province, central China, have become increasingly popular among the younger demographic, according to analysis by homestay platform Xiaozhu.com.

"Increasingly, Chinese travelers are in pursuit of distinctive and immersive travel experiences," Jane Sun, CEO of China's leading travel company Trip.com Group, said in a press release issued in September. "Travelers are no longer content with merely visiting well-trodden destinations; instead, they yearn for genuine and less-traveled adventures." She emphasized that there is a noteworthy transition toward premium services and profound travel experiences.

"Judging by the fervor in the holiday tourism market, it's clear that people have a robust appetite for travel and the consumer market is experiencing a swift resurgence," Fu Yifu, a senior researcher with the Star Atlas Institute of Finance, told Beijing Review.

Fu mentioned two noteworthy trends in the holiday travel market. Digital technology is empowering the consumer market as online short videos and livestreaming have played a crucial role in promoting lesser-popular tourist destinations, stimulating local tourism. In addition, tourism offerings are continuously being refined, providing consumers with more immersive and exciting experiences.

Music lovers enjoy  themselves during the  COSMIC ECHO Music  Festival at the Beijing  Expo Park in Beijing  on September 29 (XINHUA)

Far-off possibilities

With the resumption of international flights and improvements in the visa policies of destination countries, many Chinese travelers set their sights on more distant destinations during the super-long holiday. According to Trip.com, while domestic travel bookings saw a fourfold year-on-year increase during the period, cross-border travel bookings experienced a remarkable 20-fold increase.

China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions as well as some Asian countries remained popular destinations during the holiday. Long-haul destinations including Switzerland, Spain, Türkiye, Russia, the UK and France witnessed the fastest growth in passenger numbers when compared to this year's May Day holiday from April 29 to May 3.

Overseas businesses in the travel industry were preparing to welcome Chinese tourists. On Trip.com, hundreds of hotels in over 15 popular destinations including Dubai, Paris and Kuala Lumpur offered exclusive services for Chinese tourists, including Chinese-language services and payment options.

Thailand announced its decision to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from September 25 until the end of February 2024. On September 25, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin welcomed Chinese tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. He is reported as saying the move aims to enhance Thailand's economy through tourism. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the policy is expected to generate tourism revenue of approximately 140.3 billion baht ($3.83 billion) for Thailand.

A recent report released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) showed the global appetite for holidays to China is recovering. Search data for hotels and flights in December 2022 showed increased interest by U.S. travelers in visiting China, with travelers from across Asia-Pacific also showing increasing interest in visits to China.

"Chinese travelers want to explore the world once again and international travelers are eager to return to this amazing country, rich in culture, breathtaking landscapes and warm welcomes," WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said.

Visitors enjoy their holiday at the Ruins of St. Paul's in Macao Special  Administrative Region on October 1 (XINHUA)

On September 29, the State Council of China released a circular on promoting the high-quality development of tourism and further tapping into potential for consumption. The circular called for upgraded policies concerning visas, customs and exit tax refunds, and recovery and increase on the number of international flights to attract more inbound tourism.

The Ministry of Public Security and the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced the implementation of regional visa-free entry policies. These policies include benefits such as 15-day visa-free entry for foreign tourist groups arriving via cruise ships in Shanghai and 30-day visa-free entry for tourists from 59 countries visiting Hainan Province, south China.

The favorable policies have injected a shot in the arm for the tourism industry's development. On October 7, the NIA reported a significant uptick in border inspections during this month's Golden Week. A total of 11.82 million travelers were inspected, averaging 1.48 million per day. This represented nearly triple the figures from the same period last year and 85.1 percent of 2019's numbers.

Consumers shop at the Riyue Plaza Duty-Free Store in Haikou, Hainan Province,  on September 29 (XINHUA)

Endless possibilities

Tourism consumption is making a strong comeback. A recent report released by Weixin, one of China's main social media platforms, indicates that tourism consumption during the holiday period grew by 84 percent compared to the previous holiday last year, with over 20 cities experiencing doubled growth rates.

"The upward trend is an expression of the unleashed consumption potential after the pandemic, which is a significant driver of China's economic growth," Yang Haiping, a researcher with the Institute of Securities and Futures at the Central University of Finance and Economics, told Beijing Review. "It underscores the resilience and vitality of the Chinese economy, instilling greater confidence in the prospects of this consumption-driven engine."

Yang emphasized that the potential of tourism consumption lies in continually improving the quality of travel products and service standards and meeting consumers' increasingly varied demands for travel.

He suggested that the sector pay attention to emerging Gen-Z consumers, the integration of online and offline channels for marketing and tourism promotion, and cross-industry collaborations such as cooperation between tourist destinations and other sectors such as culture, sports and technology. These trends can further drive the development of the tourism industry. BR

(Print Edition: Double Delight)

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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