This year, as the Mid-Autumn Festival coincided with the National Day holidays, the Chinese domestic tourism market witnessed an unparalleled boom. According to the China Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a staggering 896 million domestic tourists took to the roads, skies, and rails, marking an 86% surge from last year. Such influx of travellers during the so-called ‘Golden Week’ had not been seen in half a decade. The revenue generated by this domestic tourism boom is anticipated to touch 782.5 billion yuan ($107.3 billion), a striking 138% year-on-year growth.
A New Norm in Tourism and its Economic Implication
China’s tourism industry, it seems, has entered a new phase of rapid growth, positioning itself as a crucial driver for the nation’s economic progression. The numbers and statistics from this year’s Golden Week certainly affirm that tourism, an industry that has been continuously evolving in China, is not only about leisure but has major economic implications.
Spotlight on Popular Cities
Esteemed cities, renowned for their cultural and historical significance such as Shanghai, Suzhou, and Chengdu, have been at the epicentre of this booming cultural and tourism market. Evidence of this surge is prominent in hotel and flight bookings, which, according to some estimates, have burgeoned at least fivefold compared to the same period in the previous year.
Moreover, Ctrip, one of China’s premier online travel platforms, reported that the number of tourists on the very first day of Golden Week soared. Their data indicates an overall increase in tourism orders by 2.8 times compared to the initial day of the National Day holidays of the prior year. Additionally, there was a noteworthy 20% rise in comparison to the first day of the May Day holidays of the current year.
Chengdu, the vibrant hub of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, particularly stood out. Tourist volume on the first day of Golden Week in this city rocketed by an astonishing 492% year-on-year. Famed sites, like the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and Jinli Ancient Street, were bustling. As visitors flocked to take photographs with the captivating pandas and meandered through the ancient streets, it was evident that Chengdu’s magnetism as a travel destination remains undiminished.
Hangzhou wasn’t left behind either. The city witnessed heightened tourism, propelled by the ‘Asian Games fever.’ However, such was the influx of tourists that some local residents, aspiring for a tranquil holiday experience, chose to retreat to their homes.
Driving Factors of the Tourism Explosion
This year’s Golden Week was moulded by diverse influences – extended holiday travels, reunions, and significant events such as the Asian Games. This melange of factors resulted in an unprecedented number of travellers. Bookings for flights, sightseeing tickets, hotels, and homestays mirrored this trend, exhibiting substantial annual growth.
Furthermore, cities across China have augmented their tourism offerings, aiming to satisfy and further drive domestic demand. These offerings aren’t just economic stimuli; they double as platforms for cities to project their cultural and societal identity.
The Revival of Outbound Tourism
While domestic tourism flourished, outbound tourism also demonstrated promising signs of revival. According to data from Ctrip, outbound orders on the inaugural day of Golden Week holidays shot up by 54% when juxtaposed with the May Day holidays of this year. This is an elevenfold increase from the first day of the previous year’s National Day holidays.
Thailand emerged as a particularly favoured destination for Chinese tourists. Bookings to this Southeast Asian country have grown more than 28 times in comparison to the first day of the last National Day holidays. This surge can be attributed to Thailand’s recent visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, aimed at rejuvenating its tourism industry. To put this into perspective, in 2019, Chinese visitors constituted a third of Thailand’s foreign tourist volume, numbering around 11 million.
A Beijing local, named Huo, embarked on a Thai vacation with her kin during this period. To evade the travel peak, they commenced their journey two days prior to the holiday. She recounted her experiences, mentioning the appreciable rise in tourists since the start of Golden Week. She also shared anecdotes of the heightened hospitality she received in Thailand, noting the additional services catering to Chinese tourists. Yet, some challenges persisted. Huo spoke of a cab driver who wished for improved connectivity between major Thai cities and expressed hope for an extension of the China-Laos railway to Thailand to benefit the local transport and tourism sectors.
In Conclusion
Golden Week this year has reiterated the resilience and potential of the tourism industry in China, both domestically and internationally. As travellers continue to explore, driven by diverse motivations, it’s evident that tourism remains a critical component of China’s cultural and economic tapestry.
Read More;