China's National Day travel market began strongly as many people extended their time off by linking the Mid-Autumn Festival break with the weeklong National Day holiday, leading to longer trips and a clear shift toward experience-focused travel.
With the two holidays separated by only three working days this year, some travelers used three days of annual leave to create a 13-day vacation running from late September into early October. Data cited from Trip.com Group showed that one in 10 travelers combined the two holidays into an extended break, a pattern that has helped broaden demand beyond the traditional peak days.
The longer break has translated into more multi-stop journeys. Qunar data showed that by Oct 1, about 20% of travelers had already arrived in the second city on their itineraries, while nearly 30% had booked hotels in at least two cities. Hotel bookings involving stays in four or more cities jumped 53% year-on-year, reflecting growing interest in multi-city routes and deeper exploration.
Long-distance travel also accelerated. Meituan data indicated that flight bookings for trips of more than 2,000 kilometers rose 76% year-on-year during the combined holiday period, accounting for more than a quarter of all flight bookings. Analysts said starting trips earlier and spreading them across a longer period can sustain demand for tourism, accommodation, and catering for longer stretches.
The surge in mobility has been matched by demand for richer on-site experiences. In Tianjin, the National Maritime Museum of China drew 19,000 visitors on the opening day of the National Day break, boosted in part by new immersive attractions such as a full-sensory virtual reality program centered on marine conservation themes.
Across platforms, experience-oriented products gained momentum. On Fliggy, domestic attraction ticket bookings on Oct 1 rose nearly 30% year-on-year, while the number of users purchasing products for natural scenic areas and villages increased by nearly 50%. Searches on Qunar for terms including "immersive performances," "fireworks shows," and "night tours" climbed by more than 50%, pointing to strong interest in evening entertainment and interactive cultural offerings.
Transport data underscored the holiday rush. China State Railway Group said the national railway network handled 25.204 million passenger trips on Oct 1, setting a new single-day record.
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