After the National Day holiday, airfare and hotel prices have dropped noticeably, and the tourism market has officially entered a window for off-peak travel. The same scenery can be enjoyed at a better price on a trip that is less crowded. How much can off-peak travel save? How do consumer demands differ from traditional holidays? How can the culture and tourism market innovate? What is the key to making off-peak travel go further?

Data from multiple online travel platforms show that from today through the end of the month, October 10 to 31, the average paid airfare dropped by more than 30% compared with the National Day holiday period. In addition, average hotel prices in some popular destinations fell by about 20% versus the National Day holiday. A search by the reporter found that within the past week, routes departing Beijing for Lanzhou, Quanzhou and Urumqi, Shanghai for Lijiang and Shenyang, and Guangzhou for Qingdao and Chengdu had base ticket prices around 200 to 300 yuan. In addition, in many destinations that were highly popular during the holiday, average hotel prices are now about 20% lower than during the National Day holiday. Shi Ke, a researcher at Qunar Big Data Research Institute, said that during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, travel interest in Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai-Gansu and western Sichuan was very high. After the holiday, both hotel and airfare prices fell significantly, improving overall value for money. In Altay, Xinjiang, and Shigatse, Tibet, the average price of many mid- to high-end hotels dropped to as low as 300 yuan, while luxury hotels in Garze, Sichuan, still had rooms in the low 200s by late October. Departing after the holiday avoids crowded streams of visitors and allows travel at a more affordable cost, making it a high-quality option for off-peak trips. A special reminder is that although low-price tickets and hotels are affordable, they usually come with relatively strict refund and change requirements. Before purchasing, travelers should pay attention to refund and change rules, baggage allowances, flight times and weather changes at the destination to avoid undermining the travel experience while trying to grab a bargain.

As off-peak travel enters its optimal window, many tourists are enjoying the relaxed pleasure of slow travel. In Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Hunan, tour groups and family independent travelers from various places keep arriving. Visitors look down at the deep canyon from the glass bridge, experience the thrill of walking in midair, and take photos to capture stunning moments. In the canyon, streams murmur and trees are lush; many tourists board tour boats and drift on the green water, immersing themselves in the original ecological canyon scenery. A tourist from Shanghai, Mr. He, said there were very few people, which changes your mood, and the weather during this trip happened to be very clear and sunny, which was excellent. A German tourist, Sabine, said they liked it very much and had never seen such scenery before. On Qixing Mountain at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters, visibility is clear, with layered green peaks stretching out. With the holiday crowds gone, visitor flow in the scenic area is stable and orderly, and the quiet, comfortable touring environment allows off-peak travelers to fully enjoy the beauty of autumn landscapes. A tourist from Hubei, Ms. Zhang, said the overall experience is better because there are fewer people than during the festival, queue times are shorter, and there is no long wait to take photos at check-in spots, making the trip experience better.

In Gannan, Gansu, local livestock enterprises have turned modern factories into industrial tourism attractions, where visitors can learn about the entire processing flow of yak milk in the factory. At the same time, culture and tourism departments in multiple places in Gannan have linked ancient towns, scenic areas and villages along the routes and launched one-stop bundled products of train ticket, entrance ticket and accommodation, allowing multiple scenario experiences in a single trip and further activating the vitality of the culture and tourism market after the holiday.

In Yingshang, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, local tourism remained strong after the National Day holiday, and among off-peak travelers, the share of silver-haired tourists was very high. At Yujia Garden Scenic Area in Yingshang County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, many tourists arrived early in the morning. After entering, they began touring along different routes, enjoying the garden scenery and watching performances. Wang Ruirui, head of the scenic area, said that since the National Day holiday, basically more than ten groups have arrived every day. The share of silver-haired tourism in the entire scenic area can now reach 80% to 85%. To better serve silver-haired customers, a rest area is set up about every 300 meters in the park to make it easier for older people to rest. At the same time, gentle walkways and shaded corridors reduce the physical exertion of long tours, and these thoughtful measures have won considerable praise. Tourist Gao Hongxia said that avoiding the National Day period felt really good, it was quiet, sanitation was well managed, and when tired they could rest over there. Tourist Ji Bingliang said it meets the needs of older people going out to have fun and that the tea tasted quite good. It is understood that after the National Day holiday, the scenic area received about 2,000 visitors per day on average, with single-day visitor flow basically equal to that during the holiday. Off-peak travel remained popular and also gave tourists a more comfortable touring experience. In recent years, Yingshang County has promoted all-for-one tourism, linking spots such as Bali River and Mingqing Garden into a chain, and launched special routes such as slow travel for silver-haired visitors and customized study tours to meet the travel needs of different groups.

In Jianshui County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, the autumn sun is warm and the breeze is gentle. Compared with the bustle of the holiday, the ancient city now has a quieter and more healing atmosphere. Many tourists choose off-peak travel to enjoy an autumn leisure trip. Xianghuiqiao Station is a popular check-in spot in Jianshui County, and many tourists come by meter-gauge train. Right now, salvia blooms freely on both sides of the tracks, with dense flowers stretching like purple waves, forming a charming contrast with the retro platform and train. Tourists take photos in the sea of flowers. Off-peak travel means visitors do not need to queue or crowd, allowing them to slow down and savor the history and architecture here. Tourist Ms. Zhang said there were more people during National Day, but fewer in recent days, so the experience was stronger, and taking the small train was also novel for children. Likewise, Shuanglong Bridge in Xizhuang Town has lost the noise of the holiday. On the open, quiet bridge deck and by the riverbank, tourists stroll leisurely in twos and threes, or lean on the railing to look into the distance, or take photos to capture the beautiful scene of the ancient bridge and autumn water.

It is now the best viewing period for the Ejina poplar forest, and many out-of-town tourists make special trips here to see the poplars. The Poplar Special Train, which in previous years ran daily only during the National Day holiday, has extended its operation this year, providing tourists with an economical and affordable travel option. The Poplar Special Train departs from Hohhot Station at 16:53 every day and arrives at Ejina Station early the next morning. The overnight departure and morning arrival model has allowed many tourists to experience convenience and value. Tourist Mr. Zhou said that today he took this train from Hohhot to Ejina, would arrive at 8 in the morning the next day, could spend a whole day in Ejina, and could take the train back that same day, which was equivalent to saving him two days of accommodation costs, about more than 1,000 yuan. As more and more tourists like Mr. Zhou appeared, the railway department also adjusted the train operation plan, extending the Poplar Special Train, which in previous years ran daily only during the National Day holiday, through October 16. Yin Fulong, train conductor of K7911 on the Baotou Passenger Transport Section of China Railway Hohhot Group, said they not only increased train frequency but also expanded the original 13-car formation to 18 cars, raising single-trip passenger capacity by 40%. During the interview, the reporter met a tour group from Zhangjiakou. More than 20 tourists were retired older people who specifically took the special train during the off-peak period to Ejina. Tourist Ms. Zhang said everyone else had gone back to work, so it was a good time for them to go out, and there were not too many people. During those earlier days there were too many people, and they could not even find accommodation or make bookings. To better receive tourists, Ejina Station also opened a Poplar Festival green channel, giving priority services in ticket purchase, ticket inspection and boarding to key passengers such as silver-haired visitors and children. Ni Jun, deputy stationmaster of Ejina Station of China Railway Hohhot Group, said that during the peak tourism period of the Ejina Poplar Festival, Ejina Station received and dispatched 4 to 5 tourist special trains every day, with passenger volume 8 to 10 times the usual level.

Compared with traditional holidays, how do consumer demands differ for off-peak travel? Let us hear the analysis of Ma Yiliang, vice president of the China Tourism Academy. Ma Yiliang, vice president of the China Tourism Academy, said that in recent years there have indeed been many off-peak travelers after holidays. Quite a few people feel that traveling during holidays is too crowded and choose off-peak travel after the holiday. The demand for off-peak tourism first has relatively high requirements for value for money. This includes two kinds of people: one is more sensitive to price, and the other is more rational in consumption and less inclined to follow the crowd, with the principle that they can buy something expensive but cannot buy it at an excessive price. The second characteristic is relatively high requirements for comfort. They can use time to exchange for space, meaning that although they shift the time later, what they get in return is a larger and fuller space for travel, so it suits groups with greater freedom in time allocation, such as silver-haired people and freelancers.

As visitor flow eases and travel costs decrease, many tourists choose to travel after the National Day holiday and fully enjoy the relaxed pleasure of slow travel. With the rise of off-peak travel, the long-tail effect of traditional holidays is also gradually appearing. So what is the key to making off-peak travel go further? Ma Yiliang said that to develop the off-peak travel market better, there are two aspects. The first is to make paid leave more widespread, especially as many places are now beginning to give students spring and autumn breaks. If parents can also have more flexible matching vacation policies, it will be easier for them to take their children out together. The second aspect may be that supply still needs to moderately lead demand and cannot retreat faster than demand. We are pleased to see that in some places, especially where the best viewing window for landscapes does not overlap with holidays. For example, in spring we go to Wuyuan to see rapeseed flowers, after National Day we go to Changbai Mountain to see red leaves, and we go to Xinjiang or western Inner Mongolia to see poplars. These places are indeed extending the operation time of tourism trains to continue quality services for specific groups, which is a very good phenomenon. More and more industry players have discovered the business opportunities of off-peak tourism, and the stability of tourism supply and services is improving noticeably. This market is worth anticipating.