According to a September 14 forecast report released by the travel platform, the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period is set to become an "extended golden week." This is driven by flexible leave arrangements and the alignment of autumn breaks with the holidays, leading to a comprehensive increase in demand for long-distance and immersive travel experiences. Notably, Changsha has emerged as the leading destination for poetry-inspired autumn sightseeing, with a 58% year-on-year surge in hotel booking interest.
Data from the platform indicates that search interest for keywords like "Mid-Autumn Festival" and "National Day" jumped by 278% month-on-month as of September 14. Bookings for flights to popular domestic cities rose over 40% year-on-year, while hotel stays exceeding five nights saw a 7-percentage-point increase in share compared to the same period last year. The holiday is expected to see two peaks: one between September 25 and 27 for family reunions, and another from October 1 to 7 as vacation travel concentrates.
Long-distance domestic travel is a central theme this year. The report highlights a 34% growth in bookings for domestic flight routes exceeding 1,200 kilometers. Travel products for southwest and northwest regions also witnessed a 30% surge in booking interest. The top ten preferred destinations for long-haul domestic trips include Urumqi, Kunming, Harbin, Yining, Guiyang, Xining, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Haikou, and Lhasa.
This year's holiday season introduces two novel trends: "moon-chasing" and "poetry-following autumn appreciation." Search volume for moon-viewing and moon-chasing travel products has skyrocketed, increasing more than threefold month-on-month. Emerging "moon-chasing" destinations are led by Zhongwei, Weihai, Tai'an, Hohhot, Jiujiang, Guilin, Huangshan, Wanning, Datong, and Zhoushan. Simultaneously, cities with strong ties to classical autumn poetry are witnessing rapid rises in popularity. Changsha, Xi'an, Nanjing, Nanchang, Hangzhou, Luoyang, Beijing, Wuhan, Shenyang, and Shangrao each saw hotel booking interest grow by more than 35% year-on-year. Changsha led the pack with a 58% increase, followed by Xi'an and Nanjing with gains exceeding 45%. Famous scenic spots for autumn views, such as the Pavilion of Prince Teng in Nanchang and Qixia Mountain in Nanjing, are experiencing an early surge in ticket pre-orders.
"County-level deep travel" has emerged as another highlight of the golden week. Travel product bookings for county destinations increased by 42% compared to last year, with travelers extending their average stay by 3.2 days. The most sought-after county destinations include Pingtan, Chun'an, Baoting, Zhongmu, Pingyao, Xianju, Anji, Antu, Jianshui, and Dehua.
For outbound travel, multi-country itineraries are gaining significant traction. Search interest for overseas travel during the holiday period rose by 260% month-on-month, with interest in European and Australian products more than tripling. Bookings for multi-country tours grew by over 65% year-on-year, with an average of 2.8 countries per itinerary. Top international destinations include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Istanbul, Sydney, Singapore, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City, London, and Dubai.
Industry analysts observe that this year's holiday period is characterized by "extended time, broader geographical reach, and deeper experiences," with quality and immersive experiences becoming the primary drivers of consumer decision-making.