During the recent May Day holiday, Chinese tourists made the most of the five-day break by creating a buzz on Weibo (China’s Twitter equivalent), with hashtags such as #100 million people visited each city# (据说每个城市都来了1亿人). 

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s data centre, domestic tourism reached 295 million people, marking a 28.2% increase compared to the same period in 2019. Ctrip data indicated that Chinese tourists travelled to nearly 200 countries worldwide, with Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, and other nearby countries being popular destinations.

What does the consumption pattern observed during this May Day holiday travel reveal about China’s economic situation? Lets delve into it together.

Small cities

Over the past two years, Zibo barbecue, Tianshui Malatang, and similar offerings have become distinctive tourism culture brands. This phenomenon is driven by businesses, amplified by self-media, and followed by consumers, making it a widespread and accessible tourism experience for the majority.

Tourism in small cities suddenly gained popularity

Amid an economy yet to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels, this year’s May Day break underscores a notable trend towards tourism in lesser-known destinations. The hashtag #niche cities suddenly gained popularity# (小众城市突然爆红) on Weibo, amassed 210 million views. Netizens have been discussing ‘affordable alternatives’ (平替), likening Yanji in Jilin to South Korea, Jinghong and Mangshi in Yunnan to Southeast Asia, and the Qi Shi Array of Zhejiang to Stonehenge in the UK, among others.

Image: Weibo

The ‘2024 May Day Holiday Tourism Consumption Report’ by LY.COM highlights a surge in hotel and scenic spot bookings in small cities below the third tier in the northeast and western regions, with a more than 100% year-on-year increase. This reflects growing tourist interest in non-traditional destinations such as Liuzhou in Guangxi, Zibo in Shandong, and Tianshui in Gansu, as well as rural towns like Xijiang Thousand Households Miaozhai in Guizhou, Pingyao Ancient City in Shanxi, Hongcun in Anhui, and Wuyuan in Jiangxi.

On social media platforms like Xiaohongshu (RED), many young people are keen to explore counties and even aim to visit Top 100 Counties of China’ as a novel approach to May Day travel. They exchange recommendations on hidden gems, such as Anji County with its burgeoning coffee culture and recent Dalu Music Festival, attracting urbanites seeking a slice of rural tranquillity and contemporary lifestyle experiences.

Moreover, the tourism infrastructure in small cities is on the rise. Since December 2023, there have been 127 new 4A-level scenic spots established in ten provincial-level administrative regions, with 65% located in counties and county-level cities. 

In times of economic downturn, people seek to maintain their lifestyle standards with reduced expenditure. Businesses that cater to this demand stand to thrive amidst the challenging economic landscape.

https://daoinsights.com/opinions/2024-may-day-holiday-the-rise-of-small-cities-tourism-and-ai-companions/