Travel surge driven by cultural consumption during summer holiday

Editor's note: Liu Xiangyan is an associate researcher and Ma Xiaofen is a postdoctoral fellow of the Institute of International Studies at China Tourism Academy. The article reflects the authors' views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Throughout this summer holiday season (from July to August), family travel and summer getaways have continued to expand. Ctrip data shows that family bookings made up 35 percent of overall summer orders, with educational travel orders surging by 175 percent. Due to high temperatures, cooler regions like northeast China, southwest China, and northwest China have emerged as favored summer destinations.

As travelers increasingly seek spiritual fulfillment, cultural events and venues have gained popularity. Going to concerts, music festivals, and anime and gaming events, as well as immersive experiences at cultural venues and historical districts, continues to rise.

Events like the Strawberry Music Festival and various concerts have not only provided rich entertainment experiences for participants but also generated a 3- to 5-fold increase in local cultural and tourism spending. This has brought new development opportunities to traditionally non-tourism cities.

According to data from the Qunar platform, searches for museums increased by 10 percent compared to last year, while searches for art galleries grew by 30 percent. Additionally, with the rising demand for summer vacations among families, museums have become the top choice for indoor activities. Museum admission bookings even temporarily surpassed those for theme parks, becoming the number one attraction among all scenic spots.

The summer holiday travel surge was also supported by events such as the Paris Olympics and the launch of "Black Myth: Wukong," which have significantly boosted travel demand for certain destinations.

The number of Chinese tourists traveling to France increased during the Paris Olympics, with per capita spending rising by 65 percent compared to last year. According to data from travel platform Fliggy, since July, the booking volume for hotels in France and French visa applications have both doubled compared to the same period last year.

After the release of the hit video game "Black Myth: Wukong," "Traveling with Wukong" became a hot trend on major social media platforms. Various cultural and tourism departments have quickly responded to this trend by launching co-branded travel routes. The search traffic for Shanxi Province has increased by over 10 percent month on month, and ticket orders for Xiaoxitian in Shanxi have grown by 236 percent compared to last year. 

International travel experienced a boom this summer holiday season. Thanks to the 144-hour visa-free policy, the growth rate of inbound tourism has surpassed that of outbound tourism. Among the countries with the highest number of tourists coming to China, South Korea tops the list, followed by Thailand, Japan, and Singapore. Inbound tourism orders for county-level markets have seen a substantial year-on-year increase of 102 percent. Overseas tourists from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand have shown a preference for China's smaller towns.

The outbound tourism market remains robust, with summer outbound travel orders growing by over 40 percent compared to last year, with neighboring regions still being the top choice. Benefiting from visa exemptions, orders for short-haul outbound trips to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have rebounded.