Passengers wait for trains at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station on May 1
As the curtain falls on China’s five-day May Day (Labour Day) holiday, preliminary indicators suggest the country has just experienced one of the largest domestic travel booms in history. While official nationwide figures are still being finalized, early data from local governments, digital travel platforms, and transportation authorities offer valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of China’s travel market.
This blog offers a snapshot of the 2025 holiday period, focusing on domestic and outbound tourism, estimated spending trends, transportation volumes, and the broader consumer patterns shaping holiday travel—particularly when compared to previous years.
📊 Travel by the Numbers: 2019–2025 (with 2025 estimates)
| Year | Domestic Trips (100M) | Domestic Revenue (RMB B) | Outbound Trips (Million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1.95 | 117.7 | ~4.0 |
| 2020 | 1.15 | 47.6 | ~0 |
| 2021 | 2.30 | 113.2 | ~0 |
| 2022 | 1.60 | 64.7 | ~0 |
| 2023 | 2.74 | 148.1 | 3.1 |
| 2024 | 2.95 | 166.9 | 4.2 |
| 2025* | ~3.4–3.5 (est.) | ~175–185 (est.) | ~5.0–5.5 (est.) |
Table 1: 2025 figures are preliminary estimates based on partial official data, OTA platforms, and media reports as of May 5, 2025.
Figure 1: During the ‘May Day’ holiday, Yangshuo West Street is bustling with crowds, with visitors shoulder to shoulder
🚀 Domestic Tourism: Preliminary Observations
Early indicators point to a historic surge in domestic travel, with most projections estimating 340 to 350 million person-trips nationwide—likely the highest May Day travel volume on record.
Key signals include:
- Provincial tourism bureaus across Jiangsu, Guangdong, Beijing, and others reported 10–25% YoY growth in local tourist visits and tourism revenue.
- Ctrip and Tongcheng reported record bookings for long-distance train travel, hotel stays, and tickets for scenic sites.
- County-level tourism gained significant traction. Ctrip noted that hotel bookings in “small-town China” jumped over 65% compared to 2024, showing a trend toward lower-tier cities and rural destinations.
- Average trip length extended, especially among younger travelers who combined personal leave with the official holiday, turning five days into longer getaways.
Although final nationwide spending figures are not yet released, travel industry analysts estimate ¥175–185 billion in domestic tourism revenue during the holiday—exceeding 2024’s ¥166.9 billion, and more than 45% above 2019’s ¥117.7 billion.
Figure 2: The popular scenic spot, Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars, is packed with people
🧳 Outbound Travel: Returning, but Not Fully Recovered
After three years of pandemic-era restrictions and a cautious reopening in 2023, China’s outbound tourism is accelerating in 2025.
- According to immigration authorities, over 5 million outbound trips may have been made over the holiday week, up from 4.2 million in 2024 and 3.1 million in 2023.
- Top outbound destinations include:
- Hong Kong & Macau: Still the most accessible and affordable destinations.
- Japan, Thailand, and South Korea: Popular among families and young travelers.
- Singapore and Malaysia: Benefiting from visa-free or simplified entry policies.
- Long-haul travel to Europe and the U.S. is picking up more slowly, largely due to high airfares and lingering visa backlogs.
Spending abroad appears more modest:
RMB depreciation and inflation abroad continue to constrain Chinese travelers’ budgets. Tourists are opting for experience-driven trips—like food, nature, or theme parks—over traditional shopping-heavy itineraries.
✈️ Transportation Trends: Infrastructure Stretched to the Limit
Transport authorities recorded record-level traffic volumes across all modes:
- Railway: Over 112 million passengers were estimated to have traveled by train between April 29 and May 4. May 1–3 each saw over 30 million daily passengers, according to China Railway Group.
- Civil Aviation: Domestic air passenger volume was projected to exceed 10.5 million, up roughly 8% YoY.
- Highways: Heavy traffic was reported at major toll plazas and expressways across the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions.
Digital platforms played a role in real-time traffic coordination, with apps like Gaode Map and Baidu Maps pushing live congestion warnings and alternative routes, helping travelers avoid bottlenecks.
🎯 Key Trends Driving 2025 May Day Travel
1. Cultural & Immersive Travel
Experiential tourism has become mainstream. Attractions offering interactive storytelling, theater-style performances, and gamified exploration were crowd-pullers.
Examples:
- Henan’s “Only Henan” immersive park and Guizhou’s Danxia scenic area had record attendance.
- Linfen, Shanxi saw a sudden influx of tourists due to the popularity of the video game “Black Myth: Wukong”, whose setting mirrors a real-life temple.
2. Tier-3 & Rural Markets on the Rise
With major tourist cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu nearing capacity, tourists turned to “small but beautiful” towns. This decentralization trend is also aided by:
- Increased high-speed rail access.
- Online influencers promoting lesser-known destinations.
- Local governments offering digital coupons and entrance ticket discounts.
3. Frugality with Freedom
Even as travel volume hits new highs, per capita spending remains cautious. Factors influencing this include:
- Higher cost of living and travel inflation.
- Greater price transparency through OTA apps.
- Younger travelers’ preference for budget-friendly exploration over luxury travel.
- The rise of 窮遊 (budget travel), where travelers seek meaningful experiences while minimizing expenses.
This frugal approach has led to increased interest in affordable accommodations, local eateries, and free or low-cost attractions. Travelers are leveraging online platforms to discover cost-saving tips and share their budget itineraries, fostering a community that values experience over expenditure.
🔮 What This Means for the Travel Industry
Though full data will take days or weeks to finalize, current evidence points to a robust, reshaped tourism market:
- Demand is back, but habits have shifted: short video trends, immersive IPs, and price-sensitive decision-making are now dominant.
- Digital-native travelers are driving bookings and destinations. Platforms like Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Trip.com play an outsized role in shaping demand.
- Out-of-core markets—rural counties, emerging cities—are seizing new growth opportunities, supported by tech and high-speed rail.
- The 窮遊 trend underscores a growing segment of travelers who prioritize authentic experiences over luxury, prompting the industry to offer more value-driven options.
For operators, DMOs, and travel marketers, May Day 2025 is a call to action:
- Tailor offerings to a generation that values meaning, shareability, and control over their travel.
- Diversify inventory beyond Tier-1 cities.
- Embrace “experience-first” programming over passive sightseeing.
- Develop and promote budget-friendly packages that cater to the 窮遊 demographic, ensuring accessibility without compromising on experience.
📌 Final Thoughts
As we await full reports, one thing is already clear: Chinese tourism is not just back—it’s evolving rapidly. Volume is setting new records, but success in this new era depends on understanding the values and behaviors of post-pandemic travelers.
From immersive storytelling to smart mobility, and the rising influence of 窮遊, the 2025 May Day holiday reflects a confident, mobile, and digitally empowered China. For travel professionals at home and abroad, adapting to this new landscape will define the winners of the next tourism cycle.
