China’s tourism market is continuing to thrive after the country’s hectic Spring Festival holiday period, with many travelers now taking advantage of lower airline fares and hotel prices to explore popular destinations during off-peak times.
The Spring Festival is China’s biggest traditional holiday and celebrates the Chinese New Year, which landed on Jan. 29 this year, and is a time where millions of people across the country journey back to their hometowns or travel to other destinations.
The Spring Festival also encompasses a 40-day-long travel rush which is known as the world’s largest annual human migration and lasts through to Feb. 22 this year, with a total of nine billion passenger trips expected to be made during this period.
While the holiday saw a spike in the travel and tourism sector, data reveals that “staggered travel” is now emerging as a new trend in China, as more people look to beat the crowds and head on trips at quieter times.
Data from online travel platforms shows that booking volumes for flights and hotels remain high until before the country’s next official holiday, the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which will fall on April 4 this year.
Destinations across China remain popular choices, with some embracing the cold weather by heading north, with the just-concluded Asian Winter Games in northeast China’s “ice city” of Harbin extending the winter tourism season, and destinations like the Changbai Mountain scenic area and cities like Shenyang attracting numerous visitors eager to enjoy the snow and ice before it starts to thaw.
The bustling Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world’s largest ice-and-snow theme park, welcomed over 600,000 visits in the week following the Spring Festival holiday, a figure nearly matching its holiday attendance.
Meanwhile, for those seeking warmer temperatures in the south, the Yalong Bay in Sanya of south China’s tropical island province of Hainan continues to buzz with activity, with water sports proving particularly popular. Land-based diving centers, offering simulated ocean environments, also provide unique experiences for those seeking underwater adventures. Homestays in Sanya’s Tianya Town are enjoying a 90 percent occupancy rate, highlighting the continuing demand.
Senior travelers are emerging as a significant force in fueling this off-peak travel surge. Data reveals a 34 percent increase in flight bookings for travelers aged 60 and above compared to the Spring Festival holiday period.
Warm climates, natural scenery, and cultural experiences are deemed to be key drivers for this demographic.
“Off-peak travel is quite cost-effective. We’re planning a trip to Yangzhou in March and then to Yunnan Province to see the snow-capped mountains and beautiful scenery,” said a senior tourist named Li Shuqing.
To sustain this momentum, various regions are implementing innovative strategies to keep visitors coming.
The Laomendong scenic area in Nanjing, the capital city of east China’s Jiangsu Province, for instance, has enhanced its services to create an all-weather tourism experience, resulting in a 50 percent year-on-year increase in daily visitor numbers, with an average of around 60,000 passing each day.
Meanwhile, northwest China’s picturesque Qinghai Province is embracing the “off-peak economy” to reshape its tourism cycle, catering to travelers seeking a more relaxed pace.
“I specifically saved my vacation time for after the Spring Festival holiday. The scenery in Qinghai is perfect for slow-paced travel. The self-driving experience here is fantastic,” said tourist Ma Qiang.
National data confirms the trend, with the latest figures showing a 24 percent increase in bookings for tickets, accommodation, and transportation at key scenic spots since February 5 compared to the same period last month in the run up to the Chinese New Year.
China’s post-holiday travel market thrives as off-peak tourism gains popularity
Executives of leading Chinese private enterprises vowed to break new ground in developing private economy and better serve the country’s 1.4 billion people after attending a symposium on private economy held in Beijing on Monday.
President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the symposium.
In his speech, Xi urged efforts to promote the healthy and high-quality development of the country’s private sector.
The private sector enjoys broad prospects and great potential on the new journey in the new era. It is a prime time for private enterprises and entrepreneurs to give full play to their capabilities, Xi said.
In exclusive interviews with China Central Television (CCTV), entrepreneurs who attended the symposium said they have been inspired to make greater contributions to the country.
“I think this time we are reassured so that we can roll up our sleeves and go all out to work. I could personally feel the General Secretary’s sincere care for us private entrepreneurs and private enterprises, which once again ignited my passion for pioneering,” said Qi Xiangdong, chairman of Qi-Anxin Group, a leading Chinese cybersecurity company.
“The promising prospect for the development of private enterprises he talked about encouraged us greatly. I think confidence is more valuable than gold. I believe that in the new situation, the development of private enterprises will surely step up to a new height, and our company will be down to earth to perform what we should do,” said Liu Yonghao, chairman of the agricultural conglomerate New Hope Group.
Peng Fan, chairman of the KOCEL Group, an iron and steel foundry in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, spoke about navigating the specialized field in the industry and taking new challenges.
“We will spare no effort to pool our strength and transform and upgrade our entire enterprise, advancing to intelligent, high-end, and green development. All we think is how to propel our own growth while leading the industry forward, so as to contribute to the country’s equipment manufacturing,” said Peng.
“After we go back, we will seize every second to put our ideas into action. We will stay rooted in our industry, make our core business prominent, and give back to the society to the best of our ability, so as to take more farmers on the industrial chain to get richer,” said Leng Youbin, chairman of Feihe Dairy from northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province.
“The General Secretary has urged us all to steadfastly focus on our core business through innovative development, to pioneer new ventures, and to go global. He has laid out many specific requirements, which has inspired private enterprises and entrepreneurs to bolster their fighting will to make new contributions to promoting the country’s private economy,” said Nan Cunhui, chairman of Chint Group, a leading Chinese smart energy solutions provider.
Symposium on private economy inspires Chinese entrepreneurs
