China's tourism market is set for another boom after the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, as the travelers are often interested in off-peak trips which cost less.
Analysts said that the post-holiday travel surge has demonstrated the huge potential China's domestic consumption, and the boom will help drive the high-quality development of the world's second-largest economy.
"China's tourism market is entering a prime off-peak season after the recent holidays, offering the travelers affordable outings - whether you're heading to popular Chinese cities or overseas destinations," a spokesperson for the online travel platform qunar.com told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Data from multiple travel platforms showed that searches for "budget air tickets" and "budget hotels" have jumped by nearly 20 percent following the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, state broadcaster CCTV News reported on Wednesday.
The average airfare for popular scenic spots in China after the eight-day-long holidays has dropped by 36 percent, while the average room rate for chain hotels in China following the holidays has fallen by about 30 percent compared with the holidays, qunar.com data showed.
Regarding overseas trips, average hotel rate and airfare edge down by about 20 percent compared with the holidays. For example, the lowest airfare from Beijing to Bangkok is 725 yuan ($102.3) on Tuesday, while the fare from Shanghai to Singapore comes in at 534 yuan, Shi Ke, a researcher at qunar.com, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
A Beijing-based white-collar worker surnamed Huang is about to take her annual leave and will begin a trip to Jiuzhai Valley National Park in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Friday.
"It will be a comfortable and exciting trip for me. First of all, the accommodation and transportation costs have fallen significantly compared with the holidays. Meanwhile, the park will greet tourists with the scenic beauty of autumn," Huang told the Global Times.
Some travelers are already on the way. According to a report by news portal caijing.com, many silver-haired elderly travelers kicked off their trips on October 9, immediately after the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. This group, with flexible time after retirement, has become an important force driving the off-peak travel surge.
And, a number of travel products tailored for elder tourists are being offered. On Saturday, a special tourism train designed for elderly people departed from Yulin city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Science and Technology Daily reported. A total of 678 travelers were onboard, headed for 10-day trips to Northwest China.
"The off-peak travel boom could last for a month," said another online travel platform tuniu.com, which predicted that China's tourism market will enter the peak snow and ice season as well as annual leave travel after mid-November.
Analysts said that the travel surge will inject new impetus into the country's vibrant consumption market and aid its economic development.
During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, from October 1 to 8, China recorded 888 million domestic tourist trips, up 123 million year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed. Domestic tourism spending reached 809 billion yuan, up 108 billion yuan, according to the ministry.
(Source: Global Times)