During the May Day holiday running from May 1 to 5, the small mountainous county of Xuanen in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province—home to a permanent population of 100,000—welcomed 650,000 tourists over some three days. On May 2, four tourists were unable to find hotel rooms and were eventually arranged to stay at the home of Wang Jufang, head of the county's culture and tourism bureau, sparking widespread discussion online. That same night, more than 30 other tourists were also accommodated in the homes of local residents.

Wang explained in different media reports that accommodating tourists in local households was only a temporary measure to meet immediate needs. They coordinated the opening of 100 beds inside a sports stadium and continued integrating other reception resources in the days that followed.

After years of effort, Xuanen has become a hot tourist destination for people from neighboring regions and beyond. Particularly, many trekking enthusiasts have listed a 290-meter-deep karst sinkhole in the county as a must-see site.

Prior to the holiday, local authorities had already issued real-time updates through multiple channels on visitor flows and ticket availability at different scenic spots, in an effort to help tourists plan their trips accordingly. 

Some online critics blamed the tourists for poor planning and not booking hotels in advance—but this also reflects, from another angle, the overwhelming popularity of holiday travel.

China's railway network handled a record of nearly 23.12 million passenger trips on May 1. This was a year-on-year increase of 11.7 percent, data released by the China State Railway Group Co. Ltd. showed.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, over the course of the five-day holiday, China recorded 314 million domestic tourist trips, a year-on-year increase of 6.4 percent. Total domestic tourism spending exceeded 180 billion yuan ($25 billion), up 8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Multi-sector tourism 

Located in the Moganshan International Tourist Resort in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, Harvest Moon is a themed homestay designed around vinyl records. It is also evolving into a pet-friendly establishment to cater to current market trends. "Our rooms were fully booked half a month before the holiday, with occupancy reaching full capacity starting April 28. Even after May 6, we still have guests arriving for off-peak travel," Yan Xingdi, the owner of the homestay, told Beijing Review. 

Yan graduated from East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai with a Ph.D. in control science and control engineering. In 2019, he quit his job in aerospace in Shanghai to run his own homestay, wanting, in his own words, "to change his lifestyle." He rented a courtyard house from a local farmer and transformed it into a homestay with five guest rooms. The Moganshan area has over 800 homestays, most of which have eight to 10 rooms.

Huzhou enjoys a favorable location, given it is not too far from major Yangtze River Delta cities such as Hangzhou in Zhejiang, Shanghai, as well as Suzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi in Jiangsu Province—making it an ideal destination for short weekend getaways in the region, according to Yan.

"During the May Day holiday, we also welcomed visitors from Beijing, which is more than 1,500 km from Moganshan, and some more faraway locations," he added.

In the lead-up to this year's May Day holiday, Huzhou's cultural and tourism department implemented a series of online promotions, opened new attractions, organized folk culture activities and introduced special events like circus performances and shows featuring Hong Kong street artists, which attracted flocks of visitors.

"With the summer vacation approaching, these high-quality activities will help draw even more tourists," Yan noted.

According to leading Chinese online travel agency Trip.com, this May Day holiday saw a nearly 20-percent year-on-year increase in rural tourism bookings, with many high-quality vacation farmhouses achieving occupancy rates exceeding 90 percent.

Many parents also chose to take their children to "red tourism" sites to experience a deep sense of patriotism and national pride. Red tourism is a subset of tourism in which people visit sites of importance in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). During the recent holiday, related attractions nationwide combined performances with exhibitions, using advanced technologies to integrate education with travel.

For example, in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, an indoor drama titled Back to Yan'an Again was staged. Utilizing sound, lighting and special effects, the performance offered visitors an immersive red culture experience. At its peak, the show ran five times in a single day and received over 2,000 visitors. Yan'an is a well-known Chinese revolutionary base as it was the seat of the CPC Central Committee from 1935 to 1948.

Located in Jinshui District of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province, the Zhengzhou Memory 1952 Oil and Chemical Factory was once a soap-producing plant. Today, it has been transformed into a lively city landmark that operates 24/7. The site has retained its original industrial features, such as red-brick chimneys and vintage soap storage tanks, but now houses trendy experiences like intangible cultural heritage workshops, Chinese-style costume events and immersive role-playing games. During the holiday, the park attracted an average of over 50,000 visitors per day in the first three days, with out-of-town tourists accounting for 60 percent of the total.

Robust growth 

The numbers speak for the strong tourism performance across China during the holiday period.

Beijing welcomed 17.908 million tourist visits, a year-on-year increase of 5.6 percent. The capital city generated 20.98 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) in total tourism revenue, or a 6.9-percent growth compared to the same period last year.

Shanghai reported receiving 16.5 million visitors, with the number rising 1.61 percent year on year.

Chongqing saw strong tourism growth as the city hosted 18.58 million domestic tourists, an increase of 10.4 percent over last year's figure.

Guangdong Province emerged as one of the top performers, accommodating 46.08 million tourist visits, or an 18.7-percent year-on-year growth. The southern province recorded 29.5 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) in tourism revenue, up by a whopping 20.3 percent from last year.

Sichuan Province's tourism sector showed steady growth with 43.65 million tourist visits, an increase of 3.75 percent year on year. Total tourism spending in the province reached 23.5 billion yuan ($3.3 billion), growing 11.13 percent. The province's 18 top-rated 5A-level scenic spots collectively attracted 3.25 million visits, or a 4.98-percent growth, while generating 112.9 million yuan ($15.6 million) in ticket revenue, an 8.1-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

A report released by Weixin, a super app known internationally as WeChat, on May 5 showed that tourist spending on air and train tickets, hotel stays and public transportation saw considerable growth during the holiday, with the number of commercial payment transactions via Weixin Pay increasing over 10 percent year on year. Weixin Pay is a digital wallet that allows users to make payments through Weixin.

The number of transactions in the food and beverage industry grew 12 percent year on year during the same period, with domestic brands emerging as popular dining choices, according to the report.

Dual-direction travel

The cross-border travel boom also hit record highs during the holiday. On Fliggy, a leading online travel platform in China, international cruise bookings surged over 60 percent year on year, while outbound destinations within a "12-hour flight radius"—such as Iceland, Hungary, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Norway—saw bookings soar more than 170 percent.

Trip.com reported a 20-percent increase in outbound travel orders, with top destinations including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Australia and Italy.

Gong Zhen, a freelance translator, traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, during the holiday. "Domestic hotels are relatively expensive during the holiday, so we chose Thailand. Besides, the round-trip flights cost only 2,000 yuan ($276)," he told Beijing Review. 

Xu Danni, who works in international technology cooperation, traveled to Malaysia. "Southeast Asia was a particularly popular destination during this holiday, with many people traveling to countries like Viet Nam and Malaysia," Xu told Beijing Review. 

On the inbound tourism front, Trip.com recorded a 130-percent year-on-year jump in orders during the holiday. Popular destination cities included Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou in Guangdong, Chengdu in Sichuan, Chongqing and Xi'an in Shaanxi.

During the first three days of May, both the number and total amount of commercial payment transactions made by foreign users via WeChat (Weixin) Pay in China nearly tripled compared to the same period of last year, according to the Weixin report.

"With the implementation of favorable policies for inbound tourism, the recovery of the market has become evident," Zhou Zhanfeng, Director of the Europe Market Division of the Inbound Department at China International Travel Service, told Beijing Review, adding that international visitors are showing growing interest in China's unique contrast between ancient civilization and rapid modernization, with many increasingly opting for immersive cultural experiences with local communities.

China has been opening its doors wider to international travelers. In 2024, the country expanded its unilateral visa-free entry policy to include 38 countries, allowing visits of up to 30 days. Additionally, it extended transit visa-free stays to 240 hours for 54 nations.

The optimized tax refund policy has also boosted inbound travel. In late April, China lowered the tax refund threshold from 500 yuan ($68) to 200 yuan ($27) and raised the cash refund limit from 10,000 yuan ($1,384) to 20,000 yuan ($2,768). There is no limit on refunds processed by bank transfer, according to a guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and five other departments.

While classic itineraries featuring Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai remain popular, emerging destinations like Chengdu, Chongqing and Luoyang, an ancient capital city in Henan Province, are gaining traction among foreign tourists, according to Zhou. "These cities offer distinctive cultural charm alongside modern urban vibrancy, appealing to travelers seeking authentic Chinese experiences beyond conventional tour routes," he said.

"China's inbound tourism sector is embracing a new era of opportunity. As tourism is poised to become a pillar industry of the Chinese economy, the rapid growth of inbound travel is expected to drive high-quality, sustainable consumption growth across the country," Zhou said.

(Print Edition Title: MAY-KING MOVES) 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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