Multiple regions launch 8-day "extended spring holiday", Meituan: flight bookings surge up to 254%, theme parks emerge as biggest dark horse

Text | Snow White

Editor | Liu Peng

As multiple provinces and cities gradually announce their “Spring Break” schedules, many regions’ spring holidays are linked with Qingming and May Day holidays. Citizens and tourists can combine “leave + make up days” to create a 6 to 8-day mini vacation.

The release of policy benefits has led to a significant consumer boom in the spring travel market, which was originally focused on short-distance outdoor excursions. According to Meituan Travel, ticket bookings from many places such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have seen a noticeable increase in the past week, with the highest growth rate reaching 254%.

Looking at travel data, enthusiasm varies across regions, but overall, there is an upward trend. For example, in Hangzhou, where spring break and May Day holidays are adjacent, ticket bookings from April 28 to May 5 increased by as much as 254%. Popular destinations include Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Lanzhou, and Haikou.

Meanwhile, Chengdu and Nanjing also experienced peak travel periods around Qingming (April 1-6), with ticket bookings increasing by 72% and 84% year-on-year, respectively.

Notably, as a core source of travelers in the Yangtze River Delta, Jiangsu tourists’ travel preferences are changing. Climate-friendly medium- and long-distance cities such as Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen, Kunming, and Sanya have become key choices for their trips.

Industry experts point out that the travel structure and consumption trends in the spring tourism market are undergoing significant changes. Spring holiday policies not only boost consumption during individual holidays but also stimulate the overall spring travel market. As citizens expand their travel radius, the consumption potential for family long-distance trips is greatly unleashed.

While traditional attractions still maintain stable market appeal, theme parks have become the biggest “dark horse” during the spring holiday period.

Meituan Travel shows that since March, searches for Shanghai Disneyland have increased eightfold, and searches for Shanghai Legoland have increased fivefold. The highest search volumes are concentrated in source cities like Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou in the Yangtze River Delta.

Among the provinces and cities that have announced spring holidays, the top 10 most-booked attractions are: Beijing Universal Studios, Shanghai Disney Resort, Huangshan Scenic Area, National Museum of China, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, Shanghai Legoland Resort, Nanjing Science and Technology Museum, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Terracotta Warriors), Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, and the Palace Museum (Forbidden City).

Behind this trend is a shift in the structure of family travel demand.

According to Meituan Travel data, from April 1 to 6, parent-child homestay bookings from Nanjing increased more than tenfold year-on-year, and bookings from Chengdu increased over seven times. From April 28 to May 5, parent-child homestay reservations from Hangzhou also grew more than tenfold compared to the previous year, highlighting the increasing role of family travel in holiday consumption.