Domestic tourism set to ride holiday wave

The upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu in Chinese, is set to energize China's domestic tourism market as it overlaps this year with International Children's Day.

Travel agencies say the holiday — which runs from Saturday to Monday — will bring a surge in slow-paced trips to destinations rich in traditional folk activities, along with an increased demand for family travel.

The Dragon Boat Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays, commemorates Qu Yuan, a prime minister of the Chu State during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). It is observed on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, which falls on Saturday this year.

Celebrations typically include racing dragon boats and eating zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. Travel portal Qunar said Duanwu, dragon boat races and zongzi were among the most searched keywords on its platform during the week of May 10-16, with related tour product searches jumping 220 percent.

Several destinations known for their festive atmosphere are drawing strong interest. Travel portal Trip.com Group reported that tour bookings to Foshan, Guangdong province — famous for its elaborate dragon boat races — have risen 167 percent year-on-year. As of May 13, bookings in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, have increased 40 percent from the same period last year, thanks in part to its signature zongzi.

"Zongzi is made differently across the country," said Liu Chengfeng, 35, who works in Beijing. "We, people from the northern provinces, like it dipped in white sugar, while the eastern and southern provinces prefer savory versions with pork or salted duck eggs."

Liu said his family plans to stop in Jiaxing for two nights during the holiday.

"It's not a long break, so we won't rush to crowded scenic spots — we want to take it easy and enjoy the food," he said.

Last year, Liu took his 6-year-old daughter to Miluo in central Hunan province to watch the dragon boat races.

"My wife and I hope she can explore and enjoy China's rich cultural heritage through these traditional festivals," he said.

Family travel is expected to be a major driver of holiday tourism this year, with International Children's Day falling on Sunday, the second day of the three-day break.

Online travel agency Tuniu said family travel accounts for about 40 percent of its group tour bookings for the festival. Top choices for families include Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Nanjing in Jiangsu province. Theme parks such as Shanghai Disney Resort and Universal Beijing Resort are major attractions, alongside museums and nature-focused outings.

While the Dragon Boat Festival is not considered a peak travel season due to its proximity to the May Day holiday, tourism is still expected to boom, said Xiao Peng, a researcher at Qunar.

"Traditional Chinese festivals like Duanwu are meeting people's growing expectations for higher-quality cultural and tourism experiences through a more diverse supply of options," Xiao said.

China is expected to record about 687 million cross-regional trips over the three-day holiday, a 7.7 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Transport.

chengsi@chinadaily.com.cn