During the three-day Qingming Festival holiday that concluded on Sunday, the Chinese mainland experienced a robust surge in travel and consumption. Preliminary data from the Ministry of Transport estimates nearly 790 million cross-regional trips, averaging 264 million per day – a 7.1% increase from last year.
Road travel dominated the holiday with 730 million trips recorded, and self-driving journeys accounted for over 90% of these movements. Data from DiDi Chuxing highlights a 14% year-on-year rise in taxi demand, with peak periods reaching over 110,000 orders per minute.
Border inspection agencies also registered significant activity, facilitating 6.21 million entries and exits for both Chinese nationals and foreign travelers—a 19.7% increase compared to the previous year. In addition, local travel surged; orders for nearby tours jumped by 136%, with more than 70% of trips lasting less than three days and 44% of tourists opting to travel by car.
These dynamic trends underscore an evolving consumer behavior in the Chinese mainland, with new consumption frontiers emerging and reshaping market dynamics. For young global citizens, tech enthusiasts, thought leaders, and digital nomads alike, the Qingming Festival offers compelling insights into the future of travel, innovation, and sustainable tourism.
Reference(s):
Qingming Festival: New consumption frontiers energize China's market
cgtn.com
