Extended break opens new paths for travelers

Bookings for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday are gaining momentum faster than in previous years, as summer travel demand has shifted later, according to a new industry report.

Online travel platform Ly.com recently released travel trends forecast for the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday. As of Sept 14, searches for the two holidays on the platform had surged 278 percent month-on-month, while bookings for flights to popular domestic cities rose more than 40 percent year-on-year.

Chinese travelers can stitch the two holidays together by taking three days off, giving them a 13-day break. In some cities such as Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools are linked to the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday. The extended break has helped drive a marked increase in demand for long-haul domestic travel.

As of Sept 14, bookings for domestic flights covering more than 1,200 kilometers and departing during the holiday period had risen 34 percent year-on-year. Young travelers accounted for nearly 48 percent of bookings, while families traveling with children made up more than 22 percent.

The five most popular domestic long-haul travel destinations are Urumqi in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Kunming in Yunnan province, Harbin in Heilongjiang province, Yining in Xinjiang, and Guiyang in Guizhou province.

Car rentals have also increased 15 percent for the holiday period, as self-driving trips gain popularity. Southwestern and northwestern China, with their vast landscapes and relatively scattered scenic attractions, are particularly suited to road trips.

Travelers are also pursuing novel experiences. Searches for moon-gazing and moon-chasing products for trips during the two holidays have more than tripled, with tourists looking to admire the moon against diverse landscapes, from coastlines and deserts to mountains.

Tourists prefer high-quality accommodation, with panoramic terraces, private hot springs and snowcapped mountain views among the most sought-after hotel features.

Demand for county-level travel products during the holiday period rose 42 percent year-on-year. Travelers are also staying longer in counties, with the average length of stay increasing by 3.2 days year-on-year.

As of Sept 14, searches for outbound travel during the two holidays had soared 260 percent, with Bangkok in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Seoul in South Korea among the most popular overseas destinations.