China's Golden Week Sets Travel Records as Tourists Hunt for Value

Record crowds, carefully watched budgets

China recorded 23.13 million railway passenger trips on October 1, 2025, setting a daily record at the start of an eight day National Day holiday that also included the Mid Autumn Festival. China State Railway Group's total was nearly 8 percent above a year earlier, surpassing the previous record of 21.45 million on October 1, 2024, and the 17.13 million recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

Transport authorities counted about 2.432 billion passenger trips across the full holiday, a record and an increase of 6.2 percent from a year earlier. The daily average approached 300 million. Tourism and visits to relatives overlapped during one of the busiest periods on China's calendar, producing one of the largest population movements in modern times.

The holiday brought more customers to hotels, restaurants and attractions, but many travelers were watching their budgets closely. Smaller cities, rural stays, discounts and overnight trains attracted people seeking to make their money last longer. Officials hoped the rush would support domestic consumption at a time of soft economic growth.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry counted 888 million domestic tourism trips and about 809 billion yuan in tourism revenue. Revenue rose roughly 15 percent from last year, while average spending per trip slipped slightly to around 911 yuan. The combination captured the holiday's central economic story: people wanted to travel, but many remained cautious about what they could afford.

Mortgage payments, job prospects and the rising cost of daily necessities weighed on household decisions. For tourism businesses, record crowds brought an opportunity to sell more rooms, meals and tickets, alongside intense pressure to keep prices attractive.

How transport networks handled the rush

The Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Greater Bay Area and the Beijing Tianjin Hebei region absorbed much of the traffic. These large urban clusters concentrated demand, although holiday journeys reached nearly every province as families combined sightseeing with visits to relatives.

Ministry of Transport data showed increases across several forms of transport during the holiday. Railway journeys rose roughly 2.6 percent from a year earlier, air passenger numbers increased about 3.4 percent and boat travel grew around 4.2 percent. Road journeys, including travel by private car and intercity bus, placed expressways and toll gates under heavy pressure at peak times.

Rail operators added temporary services, including extra high speed and conventional trains on popular routes, and extended operating hours at busy stations. Early in the holiday, more than 120 million tickets had been issued through the national 12306 booking platform. The railway expected more than 19 million passenger trips on the second day, including a forecast of around 4 million in the Yangtze River Delta.

The 12306 app and website supported flexible rescheduling and queues for returned tickets. Digital booking helped shorten lines at stations even when platforms were crowded. Airlines added flights and assigned larger aircraft to routes with heavy demand, while airports adjusted schedules, runway slots and gate use.

A decade of investment in high speed rail, expressways and large airports supported the system's capacity. Transport bureaus and local governments coordinated in real time when weather or congestion caused bottlenecks, and traffic apps guided drivers around jams. Extra capacity and digital tools helped keep passengers moving through the busiest stretches.

The dates that shaped the holiday

The extended break gave families more room to combine different journeys. Demand was strongest around the Mid Autumn Festival and eased in the middle of the week, while individual destinations experienced sharp daily changes.

• October 1: China State Railway Group recorded 23.13 million passenger trips, a daily record.
• October 2: The railway expected more than 19 million trips nationwide and around 4 million in the Yangtze River Delta. Macau's hotel occupancy peaked above 93 percent.
• October 4: Macau recorded its holiday visitor peak of 191,176 arrivals on Saturday.
• October 5: Macau's preliminary visitor count fell to 113,051 on Sunday as Typhoon Matmo affected travel.

The national totals describe different parts of the holiday. Transport figures count passenger journeys across the network, while the tourism figures count domestic tourism trips and the revenue associated with them. Both measures showed heavy movement during the break.

More tourism revenue, less spending per trip

The Culture and Tourism Ministry's figures put average domestic tourism spending at about 911 yuan per journey, down roughly 0.55 percent from a year earlier and the lowest since 2022. The total tourism revenue of about 809 billion yuan rose as travelers made 888 million trips, even though the average amount spent on each journey edged lower.

The State Taxation Administration's tax receipt data showed a similar preference for experiences. Daily average sales revenue in industries linked to consumption increased about 4.5 percent from a year earlier. Sales of services, including dining, entertainment and leisure, grew about 7.6 percent, compared with about 3.9 percent growth in goods.

Services therefore grew faster than goods during the holiday. Households directed more of their budgets toward experiences and short breaks while reducing some discretionary retail purchases. A busy restaurant or tourist attraction could benefit even while shops selling less essential goods faced more restrained customers.

Hotel pricing showed how hard businesses were competing for those budgets. Some hotels and hostels reduced listed rates by as much as 60 percent. Average bed prices in large cities including Shanghai and Chengdu fell more than 20 percent compared with recent holidays.

Travelers frequently compared prices and many delayed booking until the last minute. Room and ticket prices consequently moved widely as demand changed through the week. Discounts helped guests keep costs down, but they also put pressure on operators' profit margins.

H World Group, which operates more than 12,000 hotels on the mainland, said smaller cities saw the strongest demand for stays. Its budget and midscale brands, including Hanting and JI Hotel, led occupancy as guests sought reliable accommodation at a lower price.

Smaller destinations gain ground

Family travel accounted for a large share of the holiday's movement. Retirees and parents traveling with children helped drive demand for day trips and getaways lasting two or three nights. Journeys by car and shorter itineraries gained ground as people looked for affordable ways to take a break.

Social media posts recommended ancient villages in Anhui and small county seats in Jiangxi and Hunan. Travelers exchanged practical savings tips, including taking an evening or overnight train to avoid paying for a hotel room and packing snacks to avoid high prices at tourist attractions.

Smaller destinations offered lower accommodation costs, more room availability and cheaper meals and taxis than major metropolitan centers. Quieter surroundings and thinner crowds were also part of their appeal. Groups traveling together by car were a common sight on major highways.

The Yangtze River Delta remained the busiest regional hub. Shanghai's main railway stations operated near capacity, while Hangzhou, Nanjing and Suzhou absorbed additional crowds. Regional railway operators kept heavy schedules throughout the week after forecasting around 4 million passengers on the second day.

Scenic counties benefited alongside the big cities. Hotel stays in Jingdezhen, known for porcelain, were estimated to be about 30 percent higher than a year earlier. Museums, theme parks and heritage attractions reported steady queues, with online reservations helping spread entry demand across different times.

Better transport connections and attention on social media brought visitors to places that often receive less notice during peak seasons. The shift spread spending beyond the most expensive city centers and gave smaller hotel markets, local restaurants and regional attractions a share of the holiday business.

Overseas bookings rebound

Industry booking data showed outbound reservations rising about 28 percent from 2024 and edging above levels before the pandemic. The longer holiday and improved air connections gave travelers more scope to go abroad. International seat capacity out of China increased roughly 10 percent from a year earlier.

Easier entry policies helped shape destination choices. Visa free access to Singapore and Malaysia supported demand for nearby trips, while new arrangements easing group visas for South Korea reduced barriers for organized tours. A weak Japanese yen made Japan more attractive to visitors looking for value.

Osaka and Tokyo were among the leading choices. Southeast Asian destinations also drew travelers, including Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Denpasar and Singapore. Trips farther afield grew too, with Rome, Madrid and Paris receiving stronger Chinese arrivals.

Economy class reservations rose sharply, while bookings in premium cabins increased even faster. The pattern showed that some travelers were willing to spend more for comfort, particularly on longer routes, even as many others concentrated on keeping costs low.

The mix of nearby destinations, longer journeys and premium cabin demand showed a varied market. More available seats and easier entry supported the rebound, while travelers chose between savings and comfort according to their budgets.

Macau fills rooms at lower rates

The Macao Government Tourism Office recorded just over 1.14 million visitors during the eight day holiday, about 15 percent more than in 2024. Average daily arrivals reached around 143,000, the highest daily average since records for the holiday began.

Mainland residents accounted for more than 940,000 visits, the great majority of arrivals. Hong Kong residents made more than 120,000 trips, while international visitors exceeded 57,000 during the period.

Macau's average hotel occupancy reached about 87.9 percent and climbed above 93 percent on October 2. Average room rates across accommodation establishments were near 1,699 patacas, roughly 7.8 percent below a year earlier, as properties competed on price to fill rooms.

The combination of strong occupancy and lower rates echoed the price competition elsewhere in the holiday market. Macau welcomed more visitors, while accommodation businesses charged less on average than a year earlier.

Weather disrupted the daily pattern. Preliminary tallies showed arrivals peaking at 191,176 on Saturday, October 4, before falling to 113,051 on Sunday under the impact of Typhoon Matmo.

Hong Kong authorities expected more than 1.5 million passenger trips by mainland tourists during the holiday. That figure was a forecast. Retailers and restaurants in popular districts prepared for the influx, and transport operators added services across the border to handle peak demand.

Cinemas miss out on the travel boom

China's national box office took about 1.835 billion yuan during the holiday week. Ticket sales were around 12.8 percent below the total for the seven day holiday in 2024 and almost one third below the eight day break in 2023. Travel records therefore coincided with a weaker result for cinemas.

Fewer blockbuster releases were available, and many families chose outdoor journeys or free entertainment on their phones. Time spent traveling also competed with time that might otherwise have gone to a cinema visit.

Liu Tao, a Beijing resident who works in the financial sector, described why his family chose a road trip rather than a film during the break.

I didn't watch any films this holiday while usually I watch at least one," said Liu Tao, a Beijing resident in the financial sector. "I drove to Yangzhou with my wife and son. We didn't have the time. Besides, there is nothing exciting in the cinema, I'd rather watch short videos on my phone, which is free.

His choice illustrated how different parts of the service economy could move in opposite directions during the same holiday. A family spending money on transport, accommodation and meals could still spend nothing at the cinema, particularly when free entertainment was readily available.

Vouchers, flexible bookings and returning visitors

Local governments used digital vouchers, promotional events and discounts on dining and attractions to encourage holiday purchases. Tourism bureaus promoted cultural festivals, night markets and museum events to draw visitors and spending.

Anhui experimented with a travel booking model based on credit that allowed tourists to reserve hotels and attractions without paying upfront. Alongside flexible railway ticket exchanges, such arrangements made it easier for travelers to organize plans without committing every payment immediately.

National programs encouraging consumers to trade in goods continued, supported by special bond financing. These measures formed part of the wider effort to stimulate purchases while holiday travel brought large numbers of customers into shops, restaurants and visitor destinations.

Inbound tourism also regained momentum. The number of foreign travelers on domestic flights increased from a year earlier, and cruise terminals in Shanghai and Tianjin welcomed large ships carrying both inbound and outbound passengers. Those arrivals brought spending to port cities and reflected the broader reopening of international travel connections.

Transport capacity and local promotions worked together during the break. Additional trains, adjusted airport operations and digital booking services helped people reach destinations, while discounts and events gave them reasons to spend once they arrived.

What the holiday says about demand

Record travel volumes showed that household appetite for journeys had returned. Families used the extended break to combine visits to relatives with short holidays, and spending on services grew faster than spending on goods. Affordable regional food, outdoor attractions and budget and midscale hotels benefited from that preference.

Travelers still demanded value. Discounts, package deals and cheaper accommodation attracted customers, while lower average spending per domestic tourism trip showed how closely many households were managing their budgets. For operators, filling rooms or attracting crowds could require prices that left less profit on each sale.

Housing market stress and uneven income growth remained part of the cautious consumer picture described by analysts. Stock market gains had not translated into a clear increase in holiday spending through a wealth effect, the tendency for people to spend more when they feel richer because their assets have risen in value.

Smaller cities gained from lower costs, stronger connections and online attention. Businesses serving those markets benefited when travelers chose a quieter county or regional destination over an expensive metropolitan center. Convenient bookings, flexibility and dependable quality at a reasonable price mattered across the market.

The combination of record movement and growing services sales pointed to resilience in domestic demand. Turning first visits during the holiday into repeat business offered operators a way to carry some of that activity into the rest of the quarter.

Quick Facts

• China recorded 23.13 million rail passenger trips on October 1, a daily record, compared with 21.45 million in 2024 and 17.13 million in 2019.
• Transport authorities counted about 2.432 billion passenger trips over the eight day holiday, up 6.2 percent from a year earlier.
• Domestic tourism generated about 809 billion yuan from 888 million trips. Average spending was around 911 yuan per journey, down about 0.55 percent.
• Tax receipt data showed daily average sales in industries linked to consumption growing 4.5 percent, with services up 7.6 percent and goods up 3.9 percent.
• Outbound reservations rose about 28 percent from 2024, supported by more international seats and easier entry policies.
• Macau welcomed just over 1.14 million visitors. Hotel occupancy averaged 87.9 percent, while average room rates fell roughly 7.8 percent.
• Cinema ticket sales reached about 1.835 billion yuan, around 12.8 percent below the 2024 holiday total.
• Smaller destinations, short trips, travel by car and competitive hotel prices helped tourists stretch their budgets.