People visit a shopping mall in Southwest China's Chongqing, May 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

During the just-concluded May Day holiday, many Chinese people embarked on domestic or overseas journeys, showing the potential of the country's holiday economy.

According to the data released on Sunday by WeChat, China's popular social media platform, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Chengdu were among the top domestic cities in terms of consumer popularity. Popular scenic spots such as Millennium City Park in Kaifeng, Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and Wuzhen Town in Jiaxing were the top choices for most travelers. In the meantime, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Thailand, Japan and South Korea were some of the hottest overseas destinations during the five-day holiday.

Tourists visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, on May 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Aside from traditional popular destinations, county tourism has evolved into a new fashion, injecting new vitality into the tourism market. According to a market forecast by Trip.com, hotel bookings in county-level markets have spiked by 68 percent year-on-year during the holiday.

The tourism growth rate of sinking markets such as small counties and towns is higher than that of first- and second-tier markets.

Data from Alipay showed that many young generations chose to go to niche attractions in small towns. Yili in Xinjiang, Yanbian in Jilin, Diqing and Pu'er in Yunnan, Guyuan, Zhongwei, and Wuzhong in Ningxia, Garze in Sichuan, Tianshui in Gansu, as well as Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, have seen the largest year-on-year increase in cross-regional payments.

Tourists' continuous enthusiasm for domestic travel is also evidenced by factors, such as the volume of short videos published. During the holiday, the total number of posts on WeChat video accounts increased by 38 percent year-on-year, with a 39 percent year-on-year growth in users starting live broadcasts on video accounts, and a 59 percent year-on-year increase in the total number of short travel videos shared on video accounts. Among them, scenic spots like West Lake, Tian'anmen Square, the Bund, Great Tang All Day Mall and Beijing Road Pedestrian Street have become popular destinations for video account users.

Concerts, music festivals, art exhibitions, and other cultural activities have also played a significant role in boosting cultural and tourism consumption. According to Ctrip data, during the May Day holiday, searches for concerts, music festivals, and related events increased by 23 percent compared to last year. Cities such as Changzhou, Hefei, Beijing, and Yantai received high attention during this time period which drove substantial growth in local hotel accommodations, transportation, and dining services.

Furthermore, the inbound tourism market is further heating up as visa-free policies and convenient payment services provide added convenience for foreigners traveling to China. Ctrip data indicates that inbound travel orders grew by 105 percent compared to last year, higher than that of domestic tourism.

Source: China Daily
Editor: Lyu Yun