China's May Day holiday from May 1 to 5 is expected to generate a record 1.52 billion inter-regional domestic trips, up 4% from last year [1]. Domestic travel during the period is described by domestic media as the "busiest on record for domestic tourism" [1].
Road travel will dominate the holiday, accounting for 91.6% of all trips [1]. Transport authorities forecast an average of 64 million vehicles will use expressways daily during the holiday period [1].
Bookings for domestic hotels, flights and scenic spots for the two weekends surrounding the holiday have surged 20% year-on-year, according to Qunar [1]. The travel boom is also extended by multiple cities experiencing a 17-day increase in travel activities from April 24 to May 10 [1].
Family travel is the main driver behind the surge, helped by more than 60 localities extending students' spring break to merge with the May Day holiday [1]. Domestic car rentals have risen nearly 60% year-on-year, with the average rental period lasting five days [1].
Concerts, music festivals and other cultural events across the country are further boosting tourism demand during the holiday [1].
The May Day holiday represents one of China's busiest travel periods each year, and this year is set to break previous records with the highest levels of domestic movement recorded so far [1].