With the summer travel boom upon us, booking data from Chinese travel agency Tuniu reveals insights into the top current trends for the nation’s outbound tourists. While group travel remains the most popular option, accounting for 34 percent of all trips, independent travel has been gaining popularity – now making up 30 percent of trips, Jing Daily reports.
Tours in regions like Shanghai, Beijing and Sanya are listed as domestic favourites, while Japan, the Maldives and Thailand are the preferred international destinations.
There has reportedly been a surge in experience-focused travel designed to spark emotion, creativity or nostalgia. Younger travellers and families are headed to places like Beijing’s recently opened Pop Land, which features plenty of Labubu.
[See more: Here are China’s best travel destinations for beating the heat this summer]
Educational tours have seen renewed interest, with cities like Beijing and Singapore emerging as “edutainment” hubs – particularly for families engaging in luxury travel.
Adventurous trips involving RVs, aerial tours and hiking in regions like Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are also popular. For those seeking adventures beyond China, an increasing number are heading off on safaris in Kenya and South Africa – their interest fuelled by viral content on social media and improved flight connections. Morocco is another popular destination in Africa.
The peak summer travel season kicked off on 28 June and is expected to last until mid-August.
