Tourism surge expected with back-to-back holidays

China's tourism market is set for a surge as travelers stitch the nation's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which begins Friday, into the weeklong National Day holiday starting Oct 1.

The three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday ends three days before the beginning of the weeklong National Day holiday.

Some people plan to connect the two vacations into 13 days by taking a few extra days of leave, creating the "longest" break of the year for themselves. Travel agencies and industry insiders said that the move may further stimulate people's spending on tourism and vitalize the market.

Packing her luggage for a long-awaited trip to Europe, 32-year-old Yang Li, a Beijing resident, said she requested an extra three days of leave and gave herself a 13-day break from Friday.

"I will go to Switzerland and Italy and I'm super excited about the trip to the Dolomites, in northeastern Italy. I first saw the fairyland-like landscape there on a TV show in June and have been planning the whole itinerary for two months," she said.

Yang Han, an analyst from travel portal Qunar, observed that people have shown a stronger appetite for travel thanks to the longer vacation and bookings on the platform for tour products during the two holidays have so far covered more than 3,800 cities worldwide.

According to Qunar, bookings for long-distance flights of more than 8,000 kilometers have increased by 30 percent so far while neighboring destinations, including Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia, remain top choices for outbound travelers over the two holidays.

Qi Chunguang, vice-president of travel portal Tuniu, also cited people's growing spending power and passion for the two upcoming holidays as reasons why bookings for outbound tours have grown significantly.

"Chinese travelers' plans for overseas tours have been hampered by uncertainties of the world's political landscape in the first half of the year, while their desires will be unleashed in the second half of the year," he said, adding that the longer holiday is much better suited for long-distance overseas travel.

"October is the best season for traveling to Europe for the beautiful autumn views and milder weather," he said.

The National Immigration Administration said on Tuesday that the mainland's border stations will see 2.25 million entries and exits each day during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, and the number is projected to hit 2.15 million daily over the National Day holiday period.

The domestic tourism market is also expected to surge. Qunar predicted that Friday will see the first surge of travel and Oct 1, the first day of the weeklong National Day holiday, will see the second.

Experiencing traditional Chinese culture at destinations with rich cultural heritage or appreciating autumn views at scenic spots is popular among travelers planning domestic trips.

According to Tuniu, cities such as Quanzhou in eastern Fujian province and Huangshan in Anhui province have seen increasing tourism bookings where travelers can experience flower hairpins symbolizing hopes of a better life and watch stunning fish-shaped lantern shows promoting Hui culture.

Domestic destinations such as Altay in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, with its breathtaking autumn scenery, and Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia autonomous region with richly colored forests and grasslands, are growing in popularity among travelers for the two holidays, according to Tuniu.

"I now prefer spending days at a destination, exploring the food and culture and feeling the human touch there at a slower pace rather than 'checking in' at scenic spots and posting pictures on social media to win likes. The longer holidays give me more time to take such a slow-paced tour," said Wang Hui, a Beijing resident, who will pay a six-day visit to Kunming and Dali in southwestern China's Yunnan province from Oct 2.