Outbound, inbound travel bookings hit record high during National Day holiday: report

BEIJING - The daily bookings for outbound and inbound travel on the platform of Ctrip, a leading Chinese online travel agency, have reached a record high during the National Day holiday, the company said on Monday.

The proportion of family travel in the outbound travel market increased from 34 percent to 37 percent, and the average spending on parent-child trips was more than twice the overall average, Ctrip said in a report on tourism and consumption in the week-long holiday that ends on Monday.

Residents of fourth and fifth-tier cities have become new growth points for outbound travel, with daily outbound travel bookings during the holiday up by 100 percent and 300 percent year-on-year, respectively, said Ctrip.

Daily inbound trips have also seen a substantial increase of nearly 80 percent, while over 50 percent of foreign tourists stayed in China for more than seven days, according to Ctrip. Daily bookings for inbound travels from countries such as Italy, Malaysia, Russia and the United States increased by more than three times compared to the same period last year.

The report highlights the rising popularity of "slow-charging tourism," which emphasizes relaxation, a lack of rush and no fixed itinerary, among consumers.

Those born in the early 2000s (excluding those born after 2005) accounted for nearly 20 percent of the orders, said the report, adding that they have become the main consumer group for travel.

A significant number of young people are developing a keen interest in tourism in counties, leading to a 40 percent year-on-year increase in daily bookings for county tourism.