Tourists shift focus to local destinations as uncertainty looms for outbound trips

出境游不确定性隐现，游客目光转向国内目的地

Rising jet fuel costs and uncertainty over international air routes are driving a shift from outbound to domestic travel, with Chinese tourism platforms predicting that this year's Labor Day holiday is expected to see a surge in domestic tourism.

航空燃油价格上涨、国际航线前景不明，正促使游客从出境游转向国内游。多家国内旅游平台预测，今年五一劳动节假期将迎来国内旅游热潮。

The Labor Day public holiday in China this year is a five-day break from May 1 to 5.

今年中国劳动节假期为5月1日至5日，共5天。

Data from online travel agency Qunar showed that bookings for long-haul trips to domestic destinations over 800 kilometers away have increased more than 30 percent year-on-year, while hotel reservations in popular third-tier and smaller cities have doubled.

在线旅游平台去哪儿的数据显示，800公里以上的国内长线游预订量同比增长超30%，而热门三四线及小城市的酒店预订量翻了一番。

According to a report by the online travel platform Tuniu, bookings for domestic package tours during the Labor Day holiday increased 10 percent year-on-year, with self-drive tour bookings surging over 50 percent and free independent travel bookings rising nearly 20 percent.

途牛旅游网发布的报告显示，五一假期国内跟团游预订量同比增长10%，自驾游预订量增幅超50%，自由行预订量增长近20%。

As overseas travel becomes less predictable, many Chinese tourists are opting for more relaxed, immersive domestic experiences. Among emerging trends is "lie-flat travel" — low-key, quality stays in smaller cities, often in star hotels that cost a fraction of those in first-tier cities.

随着出境游不确定性增多，不少中国游客开始选择更悠闲、更具沉浸感的国内体验。其中，“躺平式旅行”成为新趋势——在小城市享受低调而高品质的住宿，往往入住星级酒店，花费仅为一线城市的零头。

For example, an office worker surnamed Qi from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, chose Jiayu, a small county in Hubei, about an hour's drive from her home. "Deciding to travel to my doorstep made me feel relaxed," she said. "I booked a very nice hotel for only a third of the price in a first-tier city, saving me 1,000 yuan ($146)."

例如，来自湖北武汉的上班族齐女士选择了距家约一小时车程的湖北嘉鱼县。她说：“决定到家门口旅行让我感到格外放松。我订了一家很不错的酒店，价格只有一线城市的三分之一，一下子省了1000元（约合146美元）。”

Another traveler, Lyu Qing, a Beijing resident who used to take her child abroad every holiday, opted this time for Luzhou, a lesser-known city in Sichuan province. "Flights to Europe are too expensive without stopovers in the Middle East, and routes to Southeast Asia are uncertain," she said. "So I chose a small domestic city — fewer crowds, cheaper and more reliable."

另一位游客吕青家住北京，以往每个假期都会带孩子出境游玩，这次则选择了不那么知名的四川泸州。她说：“飞欧洲的机票不经停中东就太贵了，东南亚航线又充满不确定性。所以我选了个国内小城，人少、便宜，也更靠谱。”

Qunar data showed that hotel bookings in destinations such as Ding'an in Hainan province surged 8.7 times year-on-year, while Luzhou in Sichuan saw a fivefold increase and Zhongshan in Guangdong province a fourfold rise. The average price of luxury hotels in popular small cities is more than 40 percent lower than in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, with some county-level luxury hotels charging as little as 300 yuan per night during the holiday peak period.

去哪儿数据显示，海南定安等目的地的酒店预订量同比增长8.7倍，四川泸州增长5倍，广东中山增长4倍。热门小城市的豪华酒店均价比北京、上海等一线城市低四成以上，部分县域豪华酒店在假期高峰每晚仅需300元。

The introduction of a spring break from late April to early May in about 30 cities — including Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang province, Changsha in Hunan province and Shenyang in Liaoning province — has encouraged families to travel earlier, thereby easing congestion during the traditional peak period. Qunar said that staggered spring breaks across regions have effectively extended the holiday period to 17 days, from April 24 to May 10.

此外，包括浙江杭州、宁波，湖南长沙和辽宁沈阳在内的约30个城市，在4月底至5月初设置了春假，鼓励家庭提前出行，从而缓解传统高峰期的拥堵。去哪儿表示，各地错峰安排的春假实际上已将假期时段拉长至17天，即4月24日到5月10日。

Tuniu said that the travel boom in Zhejiang is expected to start early, from Tuesday, driven by the spring break. The combined spring break and Labor Day holiday has created an extended "3+5" vacation, with local bookings surging by 135 percent year-on-year for the period.

途牛称，受春假带动，浙江的出行热潮预计从周二起就已启动。春假与劳动节假期叠加，形成了“3+5”的超长休假模式，当地同期预订量同比飙升135%。

According to Qunar, trips during the weekends before and after the holiday have increased by 20 percent year-on-year, with average round-trip airfares about 40 percent cheaper than flying on April 30 or May 5. Meanwhile, bookings for multi-city itineraries — covering two or more destinations — have risen 118 percent year-on-year, while bookings for self-drive tours have climbed nearly 60 percent.

据去哪儿统计，五一假期前后的周末出行人次同比增长20%，往返机票均价比4月30日或5月5日出行便宜约四成。同时，涵盖两个及以上目的地的多城行程预订量同比增长118%，自驾游预订量增长近六成。

Lyu Ning, dean of Beijing International Studies University's School of Tourism Sciences, said the shift in demand from high-end outbound travel toward domestic long-haul trips would accelerate innovation in domestic tourism products.

北京第二外国语学院旅游科学学院院长吕宁表示，从高端出境游转向国内长线游的需求变化，将加速国内旅游产品创新。

"Traditional sightseeing is being replaced by immersive experiences, niche destinations, light luxury getaways and loop self-drive tours," said Lyu. "Tourists now prioritize safety, immersive experiences and value for money, and are developing a growing appreciation for China's natural and cultural assets."

“传统的观光游正被沉浸式体验、小众目的地、轻奢度假和环线自驾所取代。”吕宁说，“游客如今更看重安全、沉浸式体验和性价比，对国内自然和人文资源的欣赏也在不断加深。”