Summer Travel Peak Begins: China's Summer Tourism Experiences "Increase in Volume, Decrease in Prices," with Both Inbound and Outbound Travel Booming
The 2024 summer travel season has officially begun, and China's civil aviation, railway, and road passenger transport are experiencing their highest passenger volume in nearly three years. According to Flight AI data, international flight volume for this year's summer travel season has recovered to 80% of the same period in 2019, with East Asian and European routes recovering at an 85% rate. The average price of outbound air tickets has dropped by over 10% compared to last year. Domestically, Ctrip's "Summer Travel Forecast Report" indicates that from July 20 to August 25, the average daily passenger volume of national railways will exceed 11 million, a year-on-year increase of 19%; the average daily number of civil aviation flights will reach 14,000, a 25% increase from June.
The head of the Ministry of Transport's Transportation Services Department stated that this year's summer tourism season saw "increased volume and lower prices, and a boom in both inbound and outbound travel." On the one hand, the recovery in transport capacity has driven down air and high-speed rail fares, with the average price of popular domestic routes down 8% compared to last year. On the other hand, increased international routes and visa-free policies for many countries have led to a 45% year-on-year surge in outbound travel bookings, with Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia firmly in the top three.
At the same time, summer resort destinations have surged in popularity. Data from the Qunar platform shows that searches for the keyword "summer resort" increased 450% in a week, with air ticket bookings for destinations such as Liupanshui in Guizhou, Changbai Mountain in Jilin, and Kunming in Yunnan all increasing by over 200% year-on-year. Industry experts estimate that domestic tourist arrivals will reach 1.2 billion during the summer, generating 1.2 trillion yuan in tourism revenue, accounting for over 28% of the annual total number of travelers and revenue, respectively.