Counties, coffee are new travel market players over May Day holiday

To avoid over-crowded tourist attractions in big cities, tourists in China have shown growing interest in county-level destinations during this year's five-day May Day holiday.

In the past month, the search volume of keywords related to "county tour" has increased by six times year on year, according to data from Meituan, a large local life service provider in China. During the May Day holiday, hotel bookings across counties increased by 47 percent compared to the previous year.

With unique natural views, less-crowded scenic spots, and cost-effective travel experiences, counties are seeing more tourists who seek to relax in a slower pace of life.

Improvements in transportation and tourist facilities, including hotels and scenic spots, have fueled the surge in tourism orders for smaller cities, according to a report by Chinese travel giant Trip.com.

The report said the prosperity of the county tourism market allows for a wider range of travelers and a more diverse range of destinations, deepening the foundation of the Chinese tourism market.

Seizing the travel boom, many places have also improved their supply of tourism products by providing high-quality cultural performances, exhibitions and other activities, according to Wu Sa, deputy director of the Economic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission.

"These places usually attract tourists with rich history, unique folk culture, food and other tourism resources," Wu added.

Meanwhile, the coffee industry is growing rapidly in many county-level tourist destinations. Data from Meituan showed that the number of coffee business owners in counties has nearly doubled compared with the same period last year, and the number of orders has increased by 1.2 times year on year.

The surge is driven by the trend of discussing trips to small towns and cities on Chinese lifestyle platforms. Young people often share their moments of enjoying views and coffee in picturesque places. Other modern amenities, such as camping and hiking, also feature their popular social media posts.

For instance, Anji County in east China's Zhejiang Province has a population of less than 600,000, but it boasts over 300 coffee shops. In Xichang, a county-level city in Sichuan Province, drinking a cup of coffee while overlooking Qionghai Lake has recently become a must-have for tourists on social media.

In order to enhance tourists' experience of local cuisine, many counties offer new flavors of coffee by adding ingredients of local specialties. In counties of Guizhou Province, tourists can try a cup of iced American with the flavor of roxburgh rose fruit.