China recorded a remarkable 314 million domestic trips during the five-day May Day holiday, from Thursday to Monday, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This marks a 6.4% year-on-year increase, driven by a surge in demand fueled by culture-themed travel packages and special holiday discounts.
Domestic tourism spending surged to 180.269 billion yuan (approximately 24.79 billion U.S. dollars), reflecting an 8% rise compared to the previous year.
To cater to the growing and diverse needs of travelers, local governments rolled out a wide range of cultural events, travel packages, and public benefit initiatives, all of which were well-received by holidaymakers.
Rail travel was the most popular mode of transportation during the holiday. A total of 112 million train journeys were made, marking a 10.5% increase over last year. On the final day of the holiday, Monday, train travel reached an estimated 21.1 million trips as travelers returned home.
National highways and expressways also saw a significant uptick in passenger traffic. On Monday alone, an estimated 244.93 million people traveled by road, as road trips continue to be the preferred option for shorter and medium-distance journeys.
Air travel also experienced notable growth. Approximately 2.32 million air passenger trips were expected on Monday, while the overall holiday period saw a total of 11.15 million flights, an average of 2.23 million per day—an 11.8% increase from 2024. Airlines also reported a rise in on-time performance, with 91,000 flights expected to operate during the holiday and an on-time rate of 89%, improving by nearly two percentage points from the previous year.
