Holiday travel bookings soar up for National Day

China's just-concluded National Day holiday period saw record-high bookings of travel products for outbound trips, and bookings made by residents of small Chinese cities, especially from western China, grew rapidly, domestic online travel agencies said.

During the weeklong break, bookings for travels abroad by consumers from fourth- and fifth-tier cities more than doubled year-on-year, and they have become new growth points for outbound trips, according to Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency.

Meanwhile, residents of first- and second-tier cities are traveling farther overseas and spending more. Some popular overseas destinations include Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States and Australia, Trip.com found.

Besides, Brazil, the Philippines, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were the fastest-growing destinations for outbound travel during the break, the travel agency said.

"Consumers of major cities are traveling to farther destinations, and residents of smaller cities are starting to travel abroad, thus creating stronger spending power and greater growth potential for the global tourism market," said Mao Lin, a researcher with Trip.com.

"It is noteworthy that the international flight capacity from China to countries like Singapore and Malaysia has fully recovered, exceeding the level seen in the same period of 2019, or before the pandemic. The increasing supply has driven the prices of flight tickets back to a rational range," Mao said.

Separately, a large number of young travelers preferred visiting small cities and county-level areas. During the break, the bookings of travel products to these places jumped considerably over last year, multiple online travel agencies said.

Hotel bookings in county-level areas grew faster than in other tourist areas. Among these, nearly 100 counties and county-level cities saw bookings for local travel products exceed 50 percent year-on-year, according to Tongcheng Travel, an online travel agency based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

In particular, Shanxi province was especially sought after by travelers, fueled by the popularity of Black Myth: Wukong, a newly developed game based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West, as many visuals in the game are inspired by scenic spots in Shanxi, said Tongcheng Travel.

During the break, bookings of bed-and-breakfast stays in county-level areas climbed by nearly 50 percent year-on-year, outperforming the overall market, according to homestay operator Tujia.

"More people are willing to explore China by visiting counties and small towns, shaping a rapidly growing tourism segment," said Hu Yang, senior vice-president of Tujia.

"With more transportation options and comprehensive support facilities, counties are expected to welcome a growing number of travelers, and thus contribute to the growth of the entire county-level homestay economy," Hu said.

In Southwest China's Lancang Lahu autonomous county, Yunnan province, a homestay owner named Zha'nu from the Lahu ethnic group, said his homestay was fully booked from Oct 2 to Sunday. In April, he transformed his old house into a homestay and combined some musical elements into the place.

"The Lahu ethnic group is good at singing and dancing, and we enjoy seeking happiness. I love the rural sceneries and the weather of my hometown, and I chose to open a homestay there," Zha'nu said.