During the 2026 National Day Golden Week, a travel boom surged across the country.
Data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on October 9 showed that during the seven-day holiday, domestic trips totaled 826 million, and total domestic tourism spending reached 738.375 billion yuan, up 6.3% and 4.3% year on year respectively on a comparable basis (daily average).
Many scenic spots saw peak visitor flows, and dining, accommodation and transportation warmed up in tandem. The bustling holiday cultural tourism market reflects that consumption potential is being continuously unleashed.
During this long holiday, the willingness to travel was released in a concentrated way, with different groups making their own vibrant choices: young people traveled across cities to attend performances and enjoy food, families joined red-themed study tours, and outdoor enthusiasts went on self-driving trips together. People rushed to book food and lodging and studied their "must-buy lists," with consumption enthusiasm running high. There were even cases of "no room available" and "no seat available," which vividly demonstrates the enormous potential of domestic demand.
Amid the boom, changes are visible: cultural tourism consumption is accelerating its spread from key cities and scenic areas to broader national territory, sinking in an all-round way to counties, townships and villages. Once niche border towns and ancient mountain villages have become popular destinations. During the National Day holiday, Qilian in Qinghai, deep in the Qilian Mountains, received more than 220,000 visitors; Yongquan Town in Tongling, Anhui, a riverside city, used copper coins as a medium to connect local cuisine and attracted 133,000 visits. A new consumption geography is taking shape: more and more county-level small cities are becoming consumption destinations, and the lower-tier market is becoming a new growth pole for domestic demand.
Cultural tourism demand is iterating and upgrading, driving the consumer market toward higher quality and greater diversity. In the past, holiday tourism consumption prioritized buying physical souvenirs; now, more and more people are willing to pay for experiences, emotions and interests. Mass travel is moving beyond the "check-in and photo" model and pursuing "immersive" and "experiential" elements. Some head for cliff sky ladders and challenge cloud walkways; others prefer slow travel in small cities, feeling the local flavor amid stone-paved roads and everyday life. Traditional sightseeing consumption is accelerating its shift toward multiple forms such as leisure, wellness, outdoor activities and study tours. The change in cultural tourism consumption is not only growth in scale, but also a leap that places equal emphasis on quality, experience and personalization.
Inbound tourism is also continuing to heat up. Foreign tourists are arriving in large numbers, not only keen to explore China's magnificent mountains and rivers and its long historical and cultural relics, but also flocking into commercial districts and alleys to buy various goods such as electronics, clothing, cosmetics and handicrafts. From "arriving empty-handed" to "returning with a full suitcase," foreign tourists record their shopping experiences and user feelings through videos, attracting more overseas viewers and driving "China Haul" to become a global buzzword, forming an ever-expanding wave of cultural tourism consumption.
The key to catching and handling vigorous demand well lies in continuous innovation in cultural tourism supply. The market changes with demand, and localities no longer rely only on natural scenery to "win while lying down" or "live off past gains"; instead, they actively create scenes, cultivate business formats and expand tracks. High-altitude sky ladders, processional performances, nighttime light shows... From new attractions and new ways to play to new services, new supply creates new demand and new scenes activate new consumption. Tourists are willing to come, stay and spend, thereby promoting a virtuous cycle between supply and demand and continuously consolidating the foundation for consumption growth.
The continuous release of consumption vitality cannot be separated from the support of quality services. A surge in visitor flows especially tests local governance capacity. Mobilizing beds overnight, improving reservation systems, adding convenience service points... Rapid responses, efficient coordination and heartfelt measures in many places provide solid guarantees for the smooth operation of the consumer market and also highlight the notable advantages of China's system and governance.
The seven-day National Day holiday links demand upgrading, supply innovation and service support, outlining a thriving picture of China's consumption. With beautiful mountains and rivers and ceaseless visitor flows, amid two-way flows at home and abroad and two-way journeys between urban and rural areas, what accumulates is the strong confidence that China's economy will steadily improve and continue to grow.