China's Golden Week: Booming Trips, Lagging Spend

During China's National Day holiday, domestic travel surged, but per capita spending remained below pre-pandemic levels. With a 5.9% increase in trips and a 6.3% boost in expenditure, spending per traveler slightly decreased compared to 2019. Economic concerns continue to impact Chinese consumer behavior.

China's week-long National Day holiday saw a significant rise in domestic travel yet faced challenges with per capita spending, according to recent data released by the culture and tourism ministry.

The ministry reported that 765 million domestic trips occurred during the Golden Week, marking a 5.9% increase compared to the previous year, with travelers spending a total of 700.82 billion yuan ($99.30 billion), up by 6.3%.

Despite more trips, individual spending trailed behind pre-pandemic levels, decreasing by 2.09% from 2019. Analysts attribute this to ongoing economic challenges in China's property market and employment sector, while some travelers opted for cost-saving measures during their journeys.