On April 5, tourists visited the Maijishan Grottoes in Maiji District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province (Photo/Xinhua)

The three-day vacation has come to an end, and this spring is not only warm in temperature but also incredibly popular. On the evening of April 6, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed the tourism data for the three-day Qingming Festival holiday (a holiday devoted to remembering and honoring the deceased) in 2024: a total of 119 million domestic trips were made, representing an 11.5% increase compared to the same period in 2019.

According to data from several online travel platforms (OTAs) on April 6, during the 2024 Qingming Festival holiday (from April 4 to April 6), bookings for popular domestic tourist attractions increased fivefold compared to previous years. Tickets for some attractions, such as night tours of Mount Tai, sold out quickly. Local and nearby travel within China saw a 211% and 350% year-on-year increase, respectively, while rural tourism bookings surged by 239%.

Outdoor excursions became the consumer hotspots during this holiday, with mountain climbing gaining popularity. Chinese famous mountains like Mount Tai and Mount Huangshan attracted young tourists. Meanwhile, new “internet-famous” destinations like Kaifeng and Tianshui experienced a significant influx of visitors. Kaifeng’s tourism popularity increased by over three times, and Tianshui’s by more than five times. Additionally, the Yangtze River Delta region saw exceptionally active tourism during the Qingming Festival, with Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing all ranking among the top ten popular destinations. 

Despite the short duration of the holiday, people’s enthusiasm for travel remained high. Notably, the average per capita spending during this year’s Qingming Festival holiday showed a clear rebound. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, domestic tourists spent CNY 53.95 billion, representing a 12.7% increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Regarding international travel, during the Qingming holiday, there were 1.041 million inbound tourists and 0.992 million outbound tourists, with the total number of inbound and outbound travelers approaching the levels seen in 2019. Additionally, the demand for Hong Kong and Macau residents returning home for ancestral worship, family visits, sightseeing, and shopping increased.

The trend is also reflected in accommodation data. According to data from Tujia Homestays, as of April 6, bookings for popular cities increased by 2.2 times, Tianshui’s homestay bookings surged by 18.8 times, and Kaifeng’s homestay bookings increased by 5.7 times. The search volume for the Wansuishan Scenic Area, where Wang Po is located, rose by 800%. Tujia Homestays data also revealed that the top three popular booking districts were Qingming Shanghe Garden, Kaifeng Drum Tower Square, and the Old Henan University district. Furthermore, some rooms in Kaifeng homestays are already fully booked for the upcoming May Day holiday.

Meanwhile, the return of giant panda “Fubao” to China sparked a frenzy of zoo visits. Notably, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding also saw a 139 percent increase in searches.