A growing number of outbound travel groups have departed from Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province, ahead of the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, marking the start of a travel rush.
The extended break, which begins on Wednesday, is expected to provide opportunities for long-distance travel.
At 07:00 on Saturday, the Pazhou-Hong Kong-Macao Passenger Ferry Terminal was crowded with travelers who were about to travel to destinations across the world.
The terminal is the only cross-border passenger water transport port in the downtown area of Guangzhou. The terminal has two ferry services, one linking Pazhou to Hong Kong International Airport and the other to Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Peninsula.
Some tour groups boarded ferries to the Hong Kong International Airport and then transferred to international flights for a nine-day trip to Australia.
"I'm so excited that I couldn't fall asleep. We came here early in the morning to check in. We'll visit Pink Lake and the Pinnacles. They are niche and exciting scenic spots. I have checked travel guides for these places and found them truly meaningful to visit. With the holiday around the corner, it's the perfect time to take my wife on a relaxing trip," said a traveler.
Between Sept 25 and 30, more than 300 outbound tour groups are scheduled to depart from Guangzhou, a year-on-year increase of over 30 percent. More than 70 percent of the groups will be traveling for nine to fifteen days.
"Popular long-haul destinations this year include Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Balkans, and Egypt," said Guan Jian, a spokesperson for a local travel agency.
The outbound boom also includes cruise departures, with two groups of over 100 passengers set to leave on Sept 28 and 30 respectively. Notably, the terminal will launch promotional ticket offers.
"On Oct 1, the first 20 passengers whose birthdays fall on that day can travel for free. Others can purchase discounted tickets for 76 yuan. From Oct 2 to 7, all tickets will be 24 percent off," said Wu Jinxin, operations and marketing manager of Pazhou-Hong Kong-Macao Passenger Service Co., Ltd.
Some travel agencies project that total outbound travel during the holiday period will rise about 35 percent year on year.
Guangzhou sees booming outbound travel as holidays draw near
