Staycation wave sweeps holiday mood

Hospitality sector rolls out local fun packages as family reunions are put on hold

To avoid the spread of COVID-19 cases during Spring Festival－the most important holiday of the year－China is encouraging people to stay in the city or town where they work and refrain from traveling for traditional family reunions in their hometowns.

In response, many people are reconciling to the pandemic situation and settling for a stay at a nearby hotel, reframing it as the best possible getaway or "staycation"－a portmanteau of "stay" and "vacation"－under the circumstances.

The latest data from Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency, showed that searches for "staying put during the holiday" on the platform jumped 260 percent in January year-on-year and those for "local travel" accounted for more than 40 percent of the total.

Tongcheng-Elong, another travel agency, found that online searches for nearby hotels and scenic spots via the site increased nearly 60 percent in late January from a year ago.

Hotels in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have witnessed surging festival bookings in particular, according to the sites, and many of them have introduced new offerings and services for local customers during this special period.

For instance, global hospitality company Hilton has launched a torrent of Lunar New Year's Eve Dinner packages, take-away services, and festive-themed items, as it witnessed a surge in Spring Festival dining bookings at many of its hotels.

"Our focus will be on families and kids as they represent a key staycation demographic," said Joseph Khairallah, vice-president of Hilton China and Mongolia.

"We have also been promoting seasonal dishes from different hotels that would enable our guests to enjoy our award-winning cuisine without traveling far from home."

The company has managed to introduce famous intellectual properties including Marbury, Transformers and Real Estate Tycoons to Chinese consumers through a tie-up with the world's largest toymaker Hasbro. Services outside the guest room include intellectual property-themed afternoon tea, picnics, catering events and photo walls, Khairallah said.

Ctrip said that two-thirds of hotel reservations booked for this year's Spring Festival are targeting four－or five-star hotels, an indication that people are seeking luxurious hospitality experiences.