Flight tickets in high demand for China's upcoming May Day holiday

Plane ticket booking in China has hit a peak one week ahead of the May Day holiday, with travel platforms observing a surprising shift toward smaller cities as popular destinations.

Beginning on May 1, the holiday affords residents five days off of work and school, fueling a travel frenzy that reflects booming demand for recreation in the country.

Flight ticket reservations on Qunar, a popular online booking platform, have been steadily climbing since mid-April, already exceeding bookings for the same period leading up to the holiday in 2023.

"The overall search volume shows a wavelike rise in the recent month. We can see from the screen that the search volume on April 17 increased by 50 percent compared to that of March 18. In the recent week, the search volume has significantly increased. Based on the current trend, the number of bookings for the May Day holiday is expected to surpass that of last year," said Xiao Peng, a researcher for Qunar's Big Data Research Institute.

Data from several booking platforms show that medium and long-haul travels have become the primary choice for holidaymakers during the five-day break, making up 56 percent of the total orders.

"During the May Day holiday, China's civil aviation is expected to handle 10.1 million passenger trips, up 9.5 percent year on year. The main reason for the popularity of civil aviation is the continuous release of consumption demand," said Shang Kejia, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration under China's Transport Department.

Apart from traditional tourist destinations, travelers have gradually shown more interest in smaller cities or attractions featuring unique local culture and cuisines.

One of them is Xuzhou City in east China's Jiangsu Province, where travelers are flocking to try popiah spring rolls and strung pork belly, as well as take in its historical sights.

"Recently, Quzhou City has opened flying routes to Xuzhou City. Therefore, I decided to travel to Xuzhou. Since the city is known for its delicacies and Han culture, we want to experience them," said Hu Zhenghao, a tourist.

In the first quarter of 2024, Xuzhou has recorded 21 million tourist arrivals, up 64 percent, with visitors from outside Xuzhou taking up more than 38 percent.

Its tourism revenue has surpassed 23 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 64 percent.

"The increasing popularity of traveling to third and fourth-tier cities is due to a rapid recovery of demand. In the future, tourism-boosted air travels will become more predominant, with the relevant products being more diversified, personalized and high-quality," said Zhan Fen, an associate research fellow at the China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology.

Flight tickets in high demand for China's upcoming May Day holiday

On his second official visit to China, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai expressed admiration for China's remarkable ability to balance preserving its cultural heritage with embracing innovative transformation.

Salwai paid an official visit to China from July 7 to 12. During his trip, he toured the southern province of Guangdong and explored the megacities of Beijing and Shanghai. His visit included tours of high-tech companies, a ride on a high-speed train, and a performance of traditional Cantonese opera.

In an interview with China Central Television Network (CCTV) aired on Friday, Salwai recounted his journey starting with a warm welcome that included enjoying Beijing Roast Duck, also known as Peking Duck -- a culinary delight introduced to him by the Chinese ambassador in Vanuatu.

"Many had to say. Peking Duck. Because we had it here on our arrival, so it was very tasty. And I understand that the Chinese ambassador in Vanuatu brought us to one of the traditional restaurants, small but beautiful," he said. The prime minister sees China's preservation of its culture as a vital lesson in understanding one's roots and the journey to the present day, acknowledging China's efforts to integrate cultural preservation with modernization.

"It's going to be my second official visit to China. I'm always impressed to see big changes and especially innovations made by China and especially the cities. Because a big impression is to see how China continues to maintain and keep its culture. Because I think it's the basis of everything -- to know where you come from and to understand where we are today. I feel that China is doing a lot to maintain its culture, but at the same time, doing, innovating to transform its culture,” Salwai said.

He also emphasized the importance of learning from China's sustainable development strategies.

"Today, it comes from a long way, some hardship, the government, and also the people of China. So, I'm impressed to see what is done, especially how China associates infrastructure development with nature. That's meant to keep, continue to keep the environment. It takes effort with the climate change by maintaining the ecosystem. I think it's something that, for a small country like Vanuatu, is important to learn. So, we are here. I'm here with my delegation to learn," Salwai said.

Vanuatu's PM commends China's cultural preservation, innovation amid fast growth