China travel bookings skyrocket for May Day holiday: Trip.com

Shanghai

Trip.com Group’s data revealed sharp increases in domestic and international travel consumption as China’s May Day holiday climbed in popularity.

‌International flights during the holidays recovered to around 40% over the same period in 2019, with searches increasing by more than 60% compared to 2019.Chinese cities continue to focus on domestic tourism by offering VIP services and experiences

‌Compared to the Chinese New Year holiday (January 21 to 27), Ctrip platform data reports that flight bookings from China to South-east Asian countries during the May Day holiday have increased by 91%. Flight bookings to Japan and South Korea increased by 120% and 204%, respectively, while longhaul flight bookings to Europe have grown by over 40%.

‌Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, and the UK were the top 10 most booked overseas destinations for the holiday period.

‌The Ctrip platform also showed that Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur were popular with first-time travellers aged 18 to 23.

‌Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, said: “The May Day holiday has ushered in the first wave of outbound tourism growth this year, driving recovery and local service capabilities.

‌”With capacity continuing to increase, Chinese consumers will soon seek destinations beyond Asia-Pacific and return to longhaul travel to EMEA and the Americas. We continue to work with global partners to ensure capacity and safeguard the pent-up travel demand seen from Chinese mainland consumers.”

‌Meanwhile, Chinese cities continue to focus on domestic tourism. Numerous scenic spots joined hands with Trip.com Group’s Ctrip platform to offer VIP services and special activity packages to provide a wide range of experience options for May Day visitors.

‌As of April 19, bookings for domestic hotels, flights and scenic spot tickets for the May Day holiday on the Ctrip platform surpassed 2019’s level.

‌The top 10 cities were Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Xi’an, Wuhan and Shenzhen.

‌According to data from Ctrip’s FlightAi market insight platform, more than 80,000 domestic flights were operated this May Day, with the average daily level increasing by around 15% compared to the same period in 2019.

‌Escaping the city and embracing the rural areas has become a holiday choice for more users. Ctrip data shows that during May Day, the overall volume of rural tours has recovered to 242% of the same period in 2019, and the proportion of orders from tourists staying in the countryside for more than three days has increased by 230% compared to 2019.

‌The overall volume for Trip.com Group’s Country Retreats increased by 261% year-on-year. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hangzhou became the most vibrant cities for countryside tours.

*Source: Pacific Asia Travel Association