China's May Day holiday travel boom highlights consumer vitality

Tourists enjoy a dance performance in Qinhuangdao, north China's Hebei Province, May 3, 2025. During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Cao Jianxiong/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump, highlighting consumer activity's sustained vitality.

The May Day holiday, running from May 1 to 5, is typically one of the year's busiest travel periods. During this time, millions of Chinese travelers hit the road to visit family, explore domestic destinations, or venture abroad. This surge in travel provides a boost to the transportation, tourism and retail sectors.

Highways were jammed, train tickets sold out within minutes, and major tourist destinations overflowed with visitors, reflecting a strong resurgence in consumer enthusiasm in the world's second-largest economy.

As the night fell, the energy remained high. In Guangxi, local governments hosted nighttime carnivals, dazzling light shows, and open-air concerts to revitalize the nightlife scene and encourage people to stay out longer and spend more.

Nationally recognized nighttime cultural and tourism zones registered nearly 76 million visits during the holiday, up 5.2 percent from a year ago, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This push to diversify the holiday experience wasn't limited to nighttime attractions. Across the country, local governments and tourism operators embraced technology to enhance convenience and comfort for the millions of travelers on the move.

In the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, an AI-powered peak-avoidance system helped visitors plan their routes more efficiently by analyzing real-time traffic and crowd data across the city's major attractions.

In Sichuan's Qingcheng Mountain scenic area, visitors encountered robotic exoskeletons designed to make trekking easier, along with drone delivery services that transported snacks and supplies to the mountains.

The surge in travel extended beyond China's borders as well. According to official data, China saw nearly 10.9 million inbound and outbound trips by Chinese and foreign nationals during the five-day break, an average of 2.18 million per day, up 28.7 percent from the same period last year.

The steady rebound in inbound tourism was fueled by growing interest from countries including Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Australia and the United Kingdom.

China's visa-free policies also played a role. A total of 380,000 foreigners entered China under such arrangements during the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 72.7 percent.

To welcome more international travelers, China has expanded visa-free policies to allow longer stays and wider travel within the country with simplified visa procedures, and introduced new conveniences such as instant tax refunds for departing visitors.

The country has unilaterally extended visa-free entry to citizens of 38 countries and has also lengthened its visa-free transit policy for nationals of 54 countries to 240 hours. ■

An aerial drone photo shows tourists visiting a historical and cultural block in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 1, 2025.

During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Zhang Shu/Xinhua)

Children wearing traditional Chinese costumes enjoy leisure time in an ancient town in Xuchang, central China's Henan Province, May 1, 2025.

During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Niu Shupei/Xinhua)

Tourists visit Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 4, 2025.

During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang/Xinhua)

Tourists watch a fire-spitting performance along Gongshui River in Xuan'en County, central China's Hubei Province, May 4, 2025.

During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Song Wen/Xinhua)

Tourists enjoy a dolphin performance in Qinhuangdao, north China's Hebei Province, May 3, 2025. During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Cao Jianxiong/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 3, 2025 shows tourists visiting Shaoxing known for being the hometown of Lu Xun, east China's Zhejiang Province.

During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Zhang Hui/Xinhua)

Tourists visit the Danxia National Geological Park in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 4, 2025. During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Cheng Lin/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo shows tourists visiting Zhongshan Road in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 3, 2025. During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Zhang Jiuqiang/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 4, 2025 shows the Huangguoshu Scenic Area in Anshun City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 4, 2025. During the five-day May Day holiday, Chinese travelers took an estimated 314 million domestic trips, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Tourist spending also saw a notable rise, reaching 180.3 billion yuan (roughly 25 billion U.S. dollars), an 8 percent year-on-year jump that highlights the sustained vitality of consumer activity. (Photo by Chen Xi/Xinhua)