Experiential travel demand surges ahead of May Day holiday

Demand for in-depth experiential tourism during the upcoming May Day holiday from May 1 to 5 has grown rapidly.

According to a report released on Monday by online travel platform Fliggy, searches for domestic activities such as stream trekking, fruit picking and mountain climbing during the holiday jumped 130 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, bookings for outbound one-day and multiday tour products during the holiday rose 50 percent year-on-year.

Fliggy data showed that during the holiday, long-distance destinations including Yunnan province, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Xizang autonomous region recorded the fastest growth in tourist arrivals nationwide. Meanwhile, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, and Chengdu in Sichuan province remained top destinations for the holiday.

Emerging destinations across Southwest and South China saw outstanding growth during the May Day holiday.

Travelers like to visit Fuxian Lake in Yuxi, Yunnan province, explore Zhongshan in Guangdong province, enjoy crystal-clear blue waters in Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, experience a slower pace of life in Dehong, Yunnan province and explore centuries-old villages in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province.

Zhejiang, Hunan, Hainan and other provinces have introduced spring and autumn break policies. Spring breaks for primary and secondary schools in many regions are aligned with the May Day holiday, creating longer consecutive travel periods for families with children.

Family activities including visiting historical sites, theme parks and museums have become top choices for spring break travelers. Fliggy data showed that ticket bookings for domestic attractions such as popular amusement parks and former residences of celebrities during the holiday rose by roughly 50 percent year-on-year.

Travelers born after 2005, who are around 20 years old, saw strong travel demand growth. Their bookings during the holiday jumped 130 percent year-on-year. But those born post-1990 and post-1995 remain the main holiday travelers.

For outbound tourism, greater interest in local culture and in-depth experiences has driven new destinations to rise. During the May Day holiday, more travelers are shifting their focus to slow-paced destinations. Uzbekistan, Austria, Brazil, Nepal and Italy saw the fastest tourism growth.