The combination of spring break and the Labor Day holiday has extended travel distances and lengths of stay, fostering a clear trend towards "deep stays" for this year's May holiday period. Slow-paced, multi-day itineraries in single destinations are gradually replacing the "blitzkrieg-style checklist" approach to travel.
Platform data indicates that immersive travel experiences, characterized by longer stays and deeper exploration, are defining this year's holiday. Data from MEITUAN-W shows that over 75% of pre-booked hotel orders were for leisure travel purposes, with bookings for homestays lasting seven days or more increasing by more than 40% year-on-year. A holiday travel trends report from Fliggy revealed a concentrated release of demand for immersive travel experiences, with domestic search volumes for keywords like stream trekking, fruit picking, and mountain climbing surging by 130% compared to the same period last year.
Regarding travel methods, self-driving trips saw high demand. MEITUAN-W data indicated that bookings for self-driving tour products increased by over 50% year-on-year, with demand for medium to long-term car rentals (4-7 days) growing by 13%. A representative from the company's travel division noted that an increasing number of young travelers are opting to live like a local for a few days rather than simply sightseeing as a tourist.
The trend of "less checklist-ticking, more experiential" travel is fueling the popularity of hidden gem cities. MEITUAN-W released a list of the top ten emerging popular cities for the holiday. Data showed the top emerging destinations were Guilin, Jieyang, Dali, Lijiang, Xining, Xishuangbanna, Jingdezhen, Ili, Beihai, and Rizhao. Among these, Ili saw an 82% growth in flight bookings, standing out as a notable emerging destination due to its unique May flower season. Data from Qunar.com showed that flight bookings from major cities to smaller airports in third-tier and lower-tier cities increased by more than 50%. On its platform, flight bookings from Ningbo to Guilin quadrupled, from Chengdu to Lijiang increased 1.8 times, from Shanghai to Daqing rose 83%, and from Shenzhen to Xishuangbanna grew 72%. Fliggy data indicated that Yuxi in Yunnan, Zhongshan in Guangdong, Dehong in Yunnan, Qianxinan in Guizhou, and Hechi in Guangxi all ranked as emerging destinations for the holiday period. Travelers favored visiting Fuxian Lake in Yuxi, exploring Zhongshan facilitated by the new Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, admiring the blue "jelly water" in Hechi, experiencing slow-living therapy in Dehong, and visiting century-old ancient villages in Qianxinan.
Interest in experiential activities also rose simultaneously. MEITUAN-W data from April 13 to 19 showed that searches for "ethnic photo shoots" in Dali increased 30% week-on-week, while searches for "handicraft shops" tripled. In Xishuangbanna, searches for "Dai ethnic costume and makeup services" grew over 50% week-on-week, searches for "travel photo shoots" doubled, and searches for "hot air balloon flight experiences" increased over 70%.
Sports events and performances sparked new travel trends during the holiday. The concurrent scheduling of events like football league matches and concerts, combined with various exhibitions, boosted cultural tourism markets in many locations. The 2026 season Jiangsu Super League schedule overlapped with the holiday period, making "Touring Jiangsu with the Football League" a popular theme. Fliggy data showed that during the holiday, bookings for chartered car tours in Jiangsu increased 45% year-on-year, while hotel bookings rose over 50%. Additionally, intangible cultural heritage experiences, traditional Chinese culture markets, and various exhibitions became hotspots for holiday cultural consumption. Data from Qunar.com indicated that Changsha's Wuyi Square and Orange Isle scenic area remained the country's hottest商圈 for hotel bookings. From May 1 to 5, a traditional culture market was held at Orange Isle, featuring heritage markets, hands-on workshops, public performances, and experiences like tea whisking, flower arranging, and shadow puppetry, leading to a concentration of new, interactive, and shareable activities. According to Mafengwo data, "exhibition tourism" tied to events like the Beijing Auto Show and the Canton Fair saw a 169% increase in popularity. Cultural activities such as music festivals and concerts in Beijing, and comic conventions in Chengdu and Hangzhou, drove an average search热度 increase of over 141% for related destinations, adding density to the offerings of individual cities and enhancing the appeal of established tourist spots.
An analysis from the Qunar Big Data Research Institute suggested that this year's May holiday cultural tourism consumption exhibited a more pronounced "content-driven" characteristic. Activities like concerts, sports events, and heritage markets not only enriched the supply of holiday tourism products but also enhanced the purpose and engagement of travelers. As cultural tourism consumption shifts from traditional sightseeing to deep experiential travel, destinations with appealing event hotspots and strong scene-creation capabilities are more likely to attract concentrated visitor flows in a short time, subsequently driving growth in related consumption for accommodation, tickets, dining, and more.
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