In 2023, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, referred to as the "Super Golden Week" from September 29 to October 6, witnessed a significant resurgence in China's outbound tourism market. This resurgence can be attributed to the release of the third batch of countries and regions for group outbound travel and the introduction of visa-free policies by several nations. 

 

During the Chinese Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, the National Immigration Administration of China reported that the number of people entering and leaving China reached 11.82 million, averaging 1.477 million individuals daily. This marked a substantial increase compared to the previous year, showing a 2.9-fold growth, and even surpassing the figures for the same period in 2019, reaching 85.1% of 2019 levels.

 

According to the report by Fastdata, three key players in China dominated the scene in the domestic OTA market. Leading the way, Ctrip held a considerable market share of 54.7%, followed by Fliggy with 27.1%, and LY.com with 11.5%. Together, these three companies collectively controlled more than 90% of the domestic OTA outbound travel market.

 

Based on the statistics provided by major OTAs in China, we not only can see major OTA platforms were in constant competition for market share but also can glean valuable insights into the resurgence of China's outbound travel during the holiday season 

 

Douyin Reports Surge in Outbound Travel Orders 

According to a report published by the Douyin Life Service in conjunction with the ByteDance City Research Institute, outbound travel orders on the popular social media platform Douyin surged sevenfold. The most sought-after destinations for Chinese travelers during this period were China's Hong Kong and Macau. Following closely was Thailand, which had implemented a generous five-month visa-free policy, attracting a significant influx of tourists.

 

Tuniu Highlights Revival in China’s Hong Kong and Macau

The 2023 Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays marked a significant rise in the popularity of China’s Hong Kong and Macau, as indicated in the "2023 Mid-Autumn and National Day Travel Consumption Report" released by Tuniu. Additionally, other international destinations such as Thailand, the Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, the French-Italian connection, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Egypt, and Russia garnered significant attention. Notably, destinations involved in the "Belt and Road Initiative," including the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Turkey, Iran, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, emerged as unexpected success stories in the holiday outbound travel market.

 

Ctrip Records Eightfold Growth in Outbound Travel 

Ctrip's "Chinese Mid-Autumn and National Day Travel Summary Report" revealed that outbound travel had grown more than eightfold. Beyond these impressive figures, flight booking data showed that travelers in their 90s remained a significant force in outbound tourism, constituting nearly one-third of all travelers. Notably, the post-2000 generation exhibited the fastest growth, with a share of 22%. Popular flight destinations predominantly included the Hong Kong and Macau regions of China, as well as various Asian countries. However, the most remarkable growth was observed in long-haul, transcontinental countries such as Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France.

 

Fliggy Data: A Remarkable Surge in Demand for Local Tour Services in Foreign Destinations, with A Nearly Ninefold Increase 

Fliggy's data demonstrated that domestic hotel and flight bookings consistently surpassed 2019 levels. Visa booking services also witnessed an impressive growth rate of over 70%. Furthermore, local tour services in foreign destinations, including the Maldives, Luxembourg, French Polynesia, Argentina, Egypt, Kenya, among others, experienced a nearly ninefold increase in demand.

 

Qunar Reports Threefold Growth in Long-Haul and Niche Destination Bookings

Qunar Travel's platform data revealed a substantial threefold increase in bookings for long-haul and niche destinations during the October "Golden Week," compared to the "May Day" holiday. Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports also reported a remarkable 72.49% increase in the number of Chinese tourists entering Thailand from September 25 to October 1.

 

LY.com Highlights Popular Outbound Travel Destinations 

LY.com data indicated that during the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, the most popular outbound travel destinations included China's Macau and Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Egypt. Additionally, there was a notable surge in demand for long-haul destinations in Europe, Africa, South America, and Australia.

 

Zuzuche.com Reveals Soaring Demand for Global Self-Drive Tours

According to Zuzuche’s “2023 ‘Golden Week’ Global Self-Drive Tour Report,” bookings for international self-drive tours saw a staggering 3980% year-on-year increase, marking almost a fortyfold growth. The report listed internationally renowned cities such as Melbourne, Auckland, Bangkok, Christchurch, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Sydney, Phuket, and Milan as the top destinations for self-drive travel.

 

The Chinese "Supper Golden Week" holidays have shown a recovery in the outbound tourism market, marked by a diverse selection of popular destinations, while the aviation industry is playing a crucial role in driving the recovery of the outbound tourism market.

 

International Flight Recovery is Gaining Momentum, with Southeast Asia & European Routes Leading Chinese Outbound Travel Revival

 

During the National Day holiday, the international flight market demonstrated significant signs of recovery. There were 4,835 international departing flights in the civil aviation sector, serving 62 countries. Among them, the top 20 countries' flight volume accounted for 89% of the total international flights, with a strong focus on East and Southeast Asia. South Korea, Japan, and Thailand were Top 3 destinations, and it's worth noting that Thailand's recovery rate was just under 50%, while the United Kingdom and Italy had exceeded their 2019 levels.

 

According to the latest aviation data, as of October 12th, the actual number of passenger flights on domestic and regional routes reached 17,700 flights during the early to mid-October period of this year, achieving a recovery rate of 55% compared to the same period in 2019. When it comes to the recovery of flight volume, flights between mainland China and Saudi Arabia, Italy, and the UK have surpassed 2019 levels and are continuing to grow. Additionally, countries with recovery rates exceeding 70% include Qatar, the UAE, Singapore, and Malaysia.

 

Furthermore, according to the recent data released by Flight Manager app, the 40th-week civil aviation operations data revealed that the recovery rate for international flights had reached 55.6%, with a total of 8,437 flight departures. This was a 2% increase compared to the previous week. Regarding route recovery rates, routes between China and Singapore, the Middle East, the UK and the UAE all exceeded 80%.

 

These positive trends are injecting confidence into the comprehensive recovery of the outbound tourism industry and are providing robust support for the global economy.