Following the busy Qingming Festival "mini golden week," booking momentum for the upcoming Labor Day holiday travel market continues to rise. On April 17, TONGCHENGTRAVEL released its "2026 Labor Day Travel Trends Report." The report indicates that, as of now, searches for Labor Day travel products on the platform have increased by 364% month-over-month. Bookings for flights, hotels, homestays, and attraction tickets in some popular cities have surged nearly 40% compared to the same period last year.
Spring cultural and tourism consumption dominates the Labor Day market and is expected to reach a peak in the first half of the year. The combination of spring breaks in many regions starting in late April and some travelers adopting a "take 4 days off for an 11-day holiday" strategy is reshaping travel patterns with longer vacations. Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL shows the first wave of Labor Day travel will begin earlier, from April 28 to 30, during which flight search popularity increased by 26% year-over-year, with family travelers accounting for nearly half of the inquiries.
Simultaneously, the proportion of inter-provincial hotel bookings for Labor Day increased by 15 percentage points compared to last year, with the average length of stay extending by 1 to 2 days. Against the backdrop of rising fuel surcharges, the trend of travelers purchasing flights well in advance for Labor Day is notably pronounced this year. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that flight bookings made more than 30 days ahead for Labor Day have increased by approximately 25% year-over-year, with average airfare prices rising about 10% compared to the same period last year.
Uncertainty stemming from the Middle East situation has also spurred demand for "overseas alternative travel," with domestic long-haul, high-quality travel products seeing particularly strong booking growth. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data indicates that destinations in Southwest and Northwest China are capturing this demand, with sales of related vacation packages doubling during the Labor Day period compared to last year.
Extended spring breaks in various locations are creating a "longer Labor Day," while alternative domestic travel gains popularity. The effective window for spring break travel continues after Qingming. Statistics show that cities including Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang, Weihai and Jining in Shandong, Changsha and Changde in Hunan, and Haikou in Hainan have spring breaks that connect with the Labor Day holiday, creating an extended holiday of 7 to 8 days. Additionally, some workers are opting for the "take 4 days off for an 11-day holiday" plan, collectively driving up Labor Day travel demand.
TONGCHENGTRAVEL data reveals that, as of April 17, the proportion of domestic flight bookings for routes over 800 kilometers and over 1200 kilometers around Labor Day has seen a noticeable increase. The share of family travelers booking flights has risen by 13 percentage points compared to the same period last year. In terms of popular destinations, the top 10 domestic flight booking destinations are Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Chongqing, Harbin, and Shenyang.
Influenced by the Middle East situation and international flight capacity constraints, some travelers are turning their attention to domestic destinations offering good value and outstanding natural resources, sparking a wave of "overseas alternative travel." Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL's package tours and customized tours shows that long-haul destinations occupy half of the top 10 spots for domestic vacation package bookings during Labor Day, including Yunnan, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Guangxi. Among these, booking popularity for Xinjiang vacation products increased by 160% year-over-year, Sichuan by 177%, and Yunnan by 150%. In terms of traveler demographics, families with children and seniors accounted for 28% and 16% of bookings respectively, showing a trend towards higher spending per customer.
Under the trend of "traveling farther and experiencing more," demand for high-quality domestic hotel accommodations is more pronounced. Data shows that as of April 17, booking rates for Wanda Hotels & Resorts during the Labor Day period have seen significant growth compared to last year, with the highest increases concentrated in Yunnan, Shanxi, Beijing, and the Changbai Mountain area. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data indicates that during this year's Labor Day holiday, booking popularity for high-quality hotels in Sanya's Yalong Bay and Haitang Bay areas grew by 47% year-over-year. Family rooms at some high-end homestays in Lijiang and Dali were reportedly sold out by mid-April. Booking popularity for vacation homestays and glamping sites near Sayram Lake and Kanas Scenic Area increased by 58% year-over-year.
Notably, long-haul travel is driving a significant rise in demand for consecutive hotel stays. The proportion of bookings for 5 nights or more around Labor Day increased by 10 percentage points compared to last year.
This Labor Day sees the popularity of "Color Walk," with several lesser-known flower-viewing and spring outing destinations performing exceptionally well. Following the City Walk trend, the urban exploration trend for 2026 is being swept up by "Color Walk." Focused on sensory experiences in the moment and seeking personal enjoyment, Color Walk is a perfect match for the pleasant spring weather during Labor Day. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that in the past week, searches for Labor Day destinations using color-related keywords have increased over 200% year-over-year, with "pink/golden flower seas," "green mountains and fields," and "blue sea" becoming popular high-frequency terms. Search popularity for blue-themed cities like Sanya, Xiamen, and Qingdao increased by 65% year-over-year, leading growth among color categories; search popularity for green-themed cities like Huzhou and Guilin increased by 48% year-over-year.
One of the pleasures of Color Walk lies in color-themed photo opportunities and the associated "social media economy." TONGCHENGTRAVEL data indicates that this Labor Day, several "dark horse" destinations for flower viewing and spring outings, such as Yili in Xinjiang, Lianyungang in Jiangxi, and Luoyang in Henan, are performing impressively, boosting local scenic spot popularity. Data shows that one-day tour products for the Nalati Scenic Area in Yili continue to sell well, with booking popularity up 22% year-over-year for the Labor Day period. Advance bookings for combo tickets to Haishang Yuntai Mountain in Lianyungang are notably strong, with booking popularity up 18% year-over-year. Laojun Mountain in Luoyang is attracting tourists with its flower sea season, with booking popularity for one-day tour products increasing over 30% year-over-year.
To provide travelers with more discounts and convenience this Labor Day, TONGCHENGTRAVEL has launched the "Perfect Match" marketing campaign in collaboration with flower sea destinations, offering substantial travel voucher packages. Additionally, from April 3 to May 5, TONGCHENGTRAVEL Hotels, in partnership with "City Pass," is offering a public benefit activity in Luoyang where hotel bookings allow for subway rides at a cost of just 0.01 RMB.
Hainan, where blue and green themes complement each other, is also a popular destination for this year's Labor Day "Color Walk." Data shows that during the Labor Day period, overall booking popularity for the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, operated by TONGCHENGTRAVEL, increased by 20% year-over-year, with the main visitor groups being young and middle-aged adults and families. The scenic area has concurrently planned a series of spring garden activities for Labor Day, creating diverse experience zones in the wetland area: setting up fun game areas with casual interactive activities like ring toss and arrow throwing; and opening creative DIY zones offering experiences like hat decorating and kite making to enrich visitors' holiday experiences.
Color-themed destinations are not only boosting scenic spot popularity but also driving a surge in traffic for local hotels. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that top hotel booking destinations for the Labor Day holiday include Guangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Sanya, Hangzhou, Kunming, Kaifeng, Chengdu, Wuhan, and Changsha. Among these, hotel booking popularity in Guangzhou increased by 43% year-over-year, Qingdao by 40%, Chengdu by 37%, and Wuhan by 35%.
Interestingly, travelers are not only seeking natural colors during the day but are also unlocking "atmospheric colors" at night. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data indicates that search and booking popularity for scenic spot tickets that include night views increased over 100% year-over-year during the Labor Day period. Among these, the Xi'an Tang Paradise, Shanghai Disney Resort, Guangzhou Pearl River Night Cruise, and Wuyuan Wunvzhou saw rapid growth in searches and bookings.
Hidden gem counties are exerting a "reverse attraction," and travel AI becomes the Labor Day "cyber guide." As popular first-tier and new first-tier cities face saturation during holidays, many travelers are instead heading to lesser-known, uncrowded county destinations. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that this Labor Day, booking popularity for travel products related to county destinations increased by 128% year-over-year, a growth rate领先ing major provincial capitals. The top 10 popular county travel destinations for Labor Day include Pingtan County in Fujian, Anji County in Zhejiang, Yangshuo County in Guilin, Libo County in Guizhou, Pingyao County in Shanxi, and Jianshui County in Yunnan.
The geographical characteristics of county destinations—"scattered attractions and longer distances"—are driving increased demand for self-drive tours. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that car rental booking popularity in county markets for Labor Day increased by 113% year-over-year. "Arrive by high-speed rail + rent a car upon arrival" is becoming the mainstream way to explore counties in depth. In terms of rental duration, county car rental users have an average rental period of 3.8 days, 1.2 days longer than users engaging in city peripheral tours.
As the supply of high-quality accommodation accelerates its expansion into these areas, TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that booking popularity for high-quality hotels in counties during the Labor Day period grew by 76% year-over-year, outpacing the platform's overall growth. The homestay sector also performed strongly, with bookings for boutique homestays in counties increasing by 92% year-over-year, with some unique homestays becoming fully booked 15 days in advance.
In the era of widespread AI, travel AI has become the first "cyber guide" users consult before their trips this Labor Day. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that among DeepTrip-related inquiries for Labor Day, the number of users using DeepTrip to plan itineraries and create travel guides increased by over 60% year-over-year; the number of users who booked travel products guided by DeepTrip increased by nearly 80% year-over-year.
Amid the impact of the Middle East situation and international flight capacity, destinations in Europe, Africa, and Northeast Asia are performing relatively well in this year's Labor Day outbound travel market. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that the top 10 popular countries for Labor Day outbound travel include South Korea, Egypt, Russia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. Booking popularity for short-haul outbound travel products to destinations like Seoul and Jeju Island in South Korea increased by over 150% month-over-month.
Comments