As the National Day holiday draws to a close, ticket prices on some popular routes have already begun to fall.

Data from the Meituan platform shows that on October 7, the average tax-inclusive ticket price from Shanghai to Hulunbuir was about 490 yuan, down about 76% from the average of more than 2,000 yuan during the same period before the holiday; on October 3 and 4, searches for "special fare tickets" on the platform rose 13% compared with October 1 and 2; amid the price changes, many travelers have begun turning their attention to post-holiday trips.

From the latter half of the holiday through the period after it, the drop in airfare prices has not been limited to a single route, with low prices appearing for both autumn foliage destinations in the north and long-haul destinations in the south.

Data shows that on October 5, the average tax-inclusive ticket price for a direct flight from Beijing to Hulunbuir was about 415 yuan, down about 59% from the same period before the holiday; on October 6, the average tax-inclusive ticket price from Hangzhou to Xishuangbanna was about 425 yuan, down about 63% from the same period before the holiday.

Prices fell further after the holiday. From October 8 to 14, the average tax-inclusive ticket price from Shanghai to Xishuangbanna was about 396 yuan, down about 65% from the same period before the holiday; on some routes to long-haul destinations such as Lijiang, Dali, Sanya and Kunming, declines also reached 50% to 60%.

At present, demand for autumn outings is continuing to heat up. Meituan data shows that in October, searches for "autumn foliage viewing" on the platform increased 96% from the previous week, with users in Beijing, Xi'an, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chengdu paying the most attention to autumn foliage-related content. The national autumn foliage viewing guide released by the China Meteorological Administration on September 22 shows that this year's suitable period for autumn foliage viewing across the country extends from late September to early to mid-November.

For travelers, low post-holiday airfares and the autumn scenery viewing window are now overlapping. Entering mid-to-late October, routes heading northeast still offer relatively cost-effective choices, and spending three or four hundred yuan to fly northeast to see autumn colors is just the right time.

Data shows that from October 15 to 31, the average tax-inclusive ticket price from Hohhot to Dalian was about 346 yuan, down about 60% from the same period before the holiday; the average tax-inclusive ticket price from Shanghai to Changchun was about 423 yuan, down about 57% from the same period before the holiday; the average tax-inclusive ticket price from Beijing to Dalian was about 406 yuan, down about 56% from the same period before the holiday.

A relevant person in charge of Meituan air tickets said that this year's National Day holiday saw more segmented and off-peak travel than in previous years, with travel demand no longer as concentrated at the beginning and end of the holiday as before. Price declines on some routes during and after the holiday have made off-peak travel not only more affordable but also more relaxed.