Older travelers drive post-holiday bookings ahead of Chongyang Festival

Older Chinese travelers are booking more flights for trips around the Chongyang Festival, taking advantage of lower fares after the National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7 to head south for warmer weather or visit family in major cities, according to online travel agency Qunar.

Flight bookings by travelers aged 60 and above for the two-week period around the festival rose 40 percent compared with the corresponding period a month earlier, the platform said.

Chongyang Festival, also known as the Double Ninth Festival, falls on Sunday this year and is traditionally associated with honoring the elderly and climbing hills to enjoy the autumn scenery.

Airfares on popular routes have fallen more than 30 percent from National Day holiday levels, Qunar said, making travel more affordable for those with flexible schedules.

Travelers aged 60 and above account for about 16 percent of passengers in the platform’s flight bookings around the festival, twice the highest daily share recorded during the National Day break. Qunar expects that proportion to reach 20 percent by the end of October.

The platform identified two main groups among older travelers: those heading to warmer southern destinations for seasonal stays, and those flying to large cities to reunite with children and grandchildren.

Older residents from northeastern China are beginning their seasonal journeys south as temperatures fall. Meanwhile, travelers from provinces including Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan are taking advantage of lower fares to visit children, help care for grandchildren, and see the sights in major cities, Qunar said.

Beijing, Sanya in Hainan province, Chengdu in Sichuan province, Shanghai, and Haikou in Hainan were the five most popular flight destinations among its users aged 60 and above around the festival.

For older travelers seeking longer stays, Qunar reported an average trip duration of 12.6 days among its elderly wellness and extended-stay customers this year. Alongside established destinations such as Sanya, Kunming in Yunnan province, and Haikou, smaller cities including Mile in Yunnan province and Zhangzhou in Fujian province are attracting interest.

The festival weekend is also encouraging family outings. Ticket orders placed by adult children for visits to attractions with their parents increased 36 percent year-on-year, Qunar said.

Theme parks featured prominently among those bookings, with Shanghai Disney Resort and Universal Beijing Resort among the most popular choices, alongside scenic destinations such as Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong in Sichuan province.