In 2026, the autumn and spring breaks for primary and secondary schools were written into the government work report for the first time, and related explorations across various regions have further accelerated.
Since October, Hunan, Shandong, Guangdong, Shanxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Sichuan, Zhejiang and other provinces have successively released autumn break implementation plans, and content related to autumn break travel has gradually gained momentum.
The mainstream model for this year's autumn break is a 2-to-4-day weekday holiday connected to the weekend, forming a 4-to-6-day mini-vacation without makeup workdays. According to local plans, nearly every week in November will see cities entering their holiday period one after another, opening a window for off-peak travel.
Meituan-W (03690) data shows that in the week after Shenzhen, Yuncheng and other places announced their autumn break arrangements on October 9, flight searches on the platform for November travel increased by 136% compared with the week before the announcement, while train ticket searches rose by 121%. Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Sanya, Kunming, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Haikou ranked among the top ten most-searched destinations. During the same period, accommodation bookings nationwide for November stays increased by 175% compared with the week before the announcement, with bookings for destinations in Guangdong surging by 273%, significantly outpacing the national average increase for the same period.
Top 10 Most-Searched Destinations for November
Family travelers have become a major component of this autumn break travel wave. Parent Ms. Li from Shenzhen has a child in the third grade of primary school. She told reporters that as soon as the autumn break dates were announced, she booked round-trip flights for a family of three to Chengdu, a four-night homestay, and a parent-child educational package for the Giant Panda Base on Meituan-W (03690). "My child has mentioned wanting to see the giant pandas several times, but we didn't go during National Day because of the crowds and high prices. This autumn break off-peak trip is much more cost-effective, and it's a good chance to take our time enjoying the visit with our child." Families like Ms. Li's who choose to "stay a few more nights and experience things in depth" are not few in number.
Meituan-W (03690) data shows that as of October 20, bookings for family rooms for November stays on the platform increased by 109% year-on-year, with homestay family rooms growing by 158%. With more ample time, families are extending their stay at destinations. The proportion of homestay orders with a two-night consecutive stay rose from 17% in the same period last year to 21%, while the share of three-night consecutive stays climbed from 6% to 9%. The longer stays have further driven parent-child travel from single-attraction check-ins toward more diverse on-the-ground experiences.
Meituan-W (03690) data shows that as of October 20, bookings for parent-child attraction tickets in November increased by 82% year-on-year, with the "one adult and one child" ticket type growing by 215% year-on-year. In terms of activity types, amusement parks remained the most popular, accounting for 66% of bookings with an 18% year-on-year increase. Universal Beijing Resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, Guangzhou Chimelong Paradise, Zigong Fantawild Dinosaur Kingdom and Beijing Wildlife Park were the top five popular parent-child attractions for November. Meanwhile, cultural heritage sites, parks and other broadly parent-child-oriented projects ranked second in popularity, with bookings up 94% year-on-year. Educational tours, zoos and botanical gardens, and hot spring experiences were also among the popular activities for November parent-child travel.
Top 5 Parent-Child Attractions and Activities for November
Compared with the tidal wave of concentrated visitor flows during Golden Week, the autumn break shows a region-by-region, staggered release pattern, adding a new off-peak consumption window for the cultural tourism market. The dining, accommodation, entertainment and on-the-ground experience needs of families after arriving at their destinations are becoming a new growth area for local life services.
A person in charge of Meituan-W (03690) hotel and travel business said the implementation of autumn breaks has brought forward some parent-child travel demand, and off-peak travel offers families better value for money. In the future, the platform will continue to improve services related to parent-child travel scenarios to help families plan their itineraries with greater ease.
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