Nearly 300 Million People Travelled During the May Day Holiday!
The 2024 May Day holiday saw a stable and orderly culture and tourism market across China. According to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on May 6th, the Ministry’s Data Center estimated that domestic travel reached 295 million trips, a 7.6% year-on-year increase. Compared to the same period in 2019, this represents a 28.2% increase. Domestic tourists spent 166.89 billion yuan, marking a 12.7% increase year-on-year and a 13.5% increase compared to 2019.
Surge in Inbound and Outbound Tourism
With the resumption of flight routes, easier entry measures, and an increased number of countries with mutual visa exemptions, inbound and outbound tourism has rapidly recovered. Big data monitoring by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Data Center showed that during the May Day holiday, the total number of inbound and outbound tourists reached 3.672 million. This included 1.775 million inbound tourists and 1.897 million outbound tourists.
Sources: Xinhua News Agency
Over 8 Million Cross-Border Movements
The National Immigration Administration reported 8.466 million cross-border movements of Chinese and foreign nationals during the May Day holiday, a 35.1% increase from last year. The peak day for border crossings was May 3rd, with 1.801 million movements recorded.
Breakdown of Cross-Border Movements:
- Mainland residents: 4.768 million (38% increase)
- Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents: 2.919 million (20.8% increase)
- Foreign nationals: 779,000 (98.7% increase)
Source: National Immigration Administration
Small Towns Outpace Big Cities in Travel Growth
Trip.com released the “2024 May Day Holiday Travel Summary,” highlighting the stable upward trend in the domestic tourism market. Notably, cross-border travel’s growth rate outpaced domestic travel, and lower-tier markets saw higher growth rates than first- and second-tier cities. Popular destinations included Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Xi’an, and Shenzhen.
Outbound Travel Trends:
- Chinese tourists visited nearly 200 countries.
- Popular short-haul destinations: Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea.
- Long-haul destinations: USA, Australia, UK, Middle Eastern countries, and Europe saw significant growth.
Source: Trip.com Bulletin
Tourists Favour Small Towns and Long-Haul International Travel
Tongcheng Travel’s “2024 May Day Holiday Travel Consumption Report” revealed a surge in hotel bookings in third-tier and lower-tier cities by over 100% year-on-year. The most popular high-speed rail routes were Beijing-Shanghai, Guangzhou-Shenzhen, Beijing-Tianjin, Chengdu-Chongqing, and within the Yangtze River Delta region.
Top Domestic Hotel Booking Cities:
- Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Changsha, Suzhou.
Popular International Hotel Booking Cities:
- Bangkok, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Osaka.
Source: Online Travel News
Increased Depth in Domestic Travel and Accelerated Outbound Travel Recovery
Fliggy’s “2024 May Day Holiday Travel Bulletin” showed an average booking volume and per capita spending increase of 12% and 19%, respectively. Tour package bookings, including airfare and hotel accommodations, grew by approximately 30% year-on-year.
Popular Outbound Destinations:
- Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, USA, Macau, Indonesia.
Source: Hi Bao You
Domestic Long-Distance and Outbound Travel Boom
Tuniu’s data revealed that 69% of trips originated from first-tier and new first-tier cities. Outbound travel accounted for 27% of all trips, with a 190% increase compared to last year. Short-haul and long-haul outbound trips remained popular.
Popular Short-Haul Destinations:
- Japan, Thailand, Maldives, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka.
Popular Long-Haul Destinations:
- New Zealand, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, UAE, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland.
Source: Online Travel News
Family Travel Popularity and Music Festivals
Mafengwo’s data showed a significant rise in family travel by 247% and a 279% increase in self-driving trips. Music festivals also saw a 90% increase in popularity.
Source: Travel Agency News Network
Civil Aviation Data Summary
Flight Manager and Air Travel Online reported increased civil aviation passenger traffic, with a daily average of 1.994 million passengers and a significant recovery in international flight volumes.
Source: Aviation Retail News
Overseas Car Rental Boom
Trip.com’s car rental platform reported a 132% increase in overseas orders. Popular destinations included the USA, Japan, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Malaysia, UAE, UK, and Turkey.
Source: Trip.com Bulletin
Growth in Self-Driving Tours
Zuzuche’s “2024 May Day Global Self-Driving Season Summary” highlighted an 85% increase in outbound self-driving tours, with Europe experiencing rapid growth. Young travellers, particularly “post-90s” and “post-00s,” drive this trend.
Source: Tourism Marketing Observation