The Chinese are enjoying an 8-day holiday, combining the mid-autumn festival with the National Day holiday week. On the first day, September 29, the national railway transported 20.98 million passengers, setting a new record for single-day passenger volume in history. Analysts predict that this year will be the busiest Golden Week for five years. Family travel, tourism, and sport events combined are expected to lead to a surge in travel demand by rail and air. On September 30, it is estimated that the railway will transport 17.6 million passengers, with 12,180 passenger trains in operation, including 1,594 additional trains. There are expected to be 896 million domestic tourists traveling during this year's holiday, an increase of 86% compared to last year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism estimated. Revenue from domestic tourism is expected to reach CNY782.5 billion, a growth of 138% compared to last year. This marks the busiest Golden Week in five years, and it demonstrates that the tourism industry is entering a new normal and becoming an important engine driving the country's economy. The Ministry predicted that popular tourist cities such as Shanghai, Suzhou and Chengdu, will experience an exceptionally high demand in the cultural and tourism market. The number of hotel and flight bookings has increased at least five times compared to the same period last year.
According to data released by Ctrip, one of China's largest online travel agencies, the number of tourists on the first day of the Golden Week holidays has surged, with overall tourism orders increasing 2.8 times compared to the first day of the National Day holidays last year, and a 20% increase compared to the first day of the May Day holidays this year. Tourism order volume for the first day of the Golden Week in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, increased by 492% compared to last year. Hangzhou is also popular thanks to the ongoing Asian Games. Orders for flights, scenic tickets, hotels, and homestays have all shown significant year-on-year growth. At the same time, outbound tourism is recovering, with outbound orders on the first day of the Golden Week holidays increasing by 54% compared to the May Day holidays this year, and 11 times compared to the first day of the National Day holidays last year, according to Ctrip. Bookings to Thailand have increased by more than 28 times compared to the first day of the National Day holidays last year, and have basically returned to the same level in 2019. Thailand on September 13 announced plans to adopt a visa-free policy for tourists from China from September 25, in order to boost the local tourism industry. In 2019, 11 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, accounting for one third of the country's overall foreign tourists.
China has implemented measures to revive domestic tourism and further unleash consumption during the Golden Week holiday including providing high-quality tourism products and services, expanding marine tourism, optimizing tourism infrastructure, increasing the number of international flights, offering convenience for inbound tourism and expanding financing channels for tourist enterprises.
This overview is based on reports by the China Daily and the South China Morning Post.
