Spring break, holiday spur multiday stays

The school spring break merging with the five-day May Day holiday this year prompted many vacationers to trade whirlwind "special forces-style" travel for immersive, multiday stays in single destinations.

Special forces-style travel refers to a travel trend wherein multiple attractions are covered in a short time through tightly scheduled, high-intensity itineraries. The trend, which has been around for the past few years, is particularly popular among young people.

Data from multiple online travel platforms showed the rise of the "depth stay" phenomenon during this year's May Day holiday, from Friday to Tuesday, with travelers spending more time in one place to soak in the local culture and way of life.

According to a report from major online lifestyle platform Meituan, 75 percent of advance hotel bookings made for this year's holiday duration were for tourism and leisure. Bookings for homestays of seven days or longer increased by over 40 percent year-on-year. Self-driving tours grew by over 50 percent year-on-year, while medium — to long-term car rentals of four to seven days rose 13 percent.

A report from online travel platform Fliggy showed that searches for immersive, in-depth domestic travel activities during the May Day holiday — such as river tracing, fruit picking and mountain hiking — increased 130 percent from a year earlier.

A travel consumption review by the online platform Tuniu revealed that bookings by travelers combining the spring break with the May Day holiday increased by more than 50 percent year-on-year, with self-driving tour users doubling and independent travelers rising by over 100 percent.

Data from travel platform Qunar indicated a broader peak pattern. Rather than a single rush from May 1 to 5, hotel bookings in popular cities increased by 15 percent during the three days before and after the holiday (April 28-30 and May 6-8), which extended the travel window. This helped ease congestion at major scenic spots and transportation hubs.

Rao Yufei, 19, spent five days in Luoyang, Henan province. She visited the Luoyang Museum, the White Horse Temple and the Longmen Grottoes, sampled local delicacies at a night market and booked a hanfu photo shoot in the ancient city of Luoyi.

"Too many stops are exhausting. Luoyang has a rich history, and every site tells a story. Rushing through would mean missing the real joy of a cultural city," said Rao.

She scheduled just one attraction in the morning and one in the afternoon, allowing ample time for queues and immersive experiences. She reserved five hours for the hanfu shoot and was thrilled with the result.

Yang Lingzi, an office worker from Beijing, traveled with her son and two other families to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, for a five-day stay. The group visited the Hubei Provincial Museum, East Lake, shopping streets and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

"Staying in one city felt more relaxing. The nightlife in Wuhan was lively, with great food," she said. "We wanted a break from Beijing and to experience a different city's vibe. No rushed traveling style — just unwinding for a few days."

Lyu Ning, dean of Beijing International Studies University's School of Tourism Sciences, said that the introduction of spring breaks for students and the increased use of paid annual leave by parents represent a positive policy experiment.

It effectively staggered passenger flows and relieved congestion during the May Day peak, she said, adding that the policy promoted diverse family tourism consumption and helped smaller cities, counties and rural destinations attract more visitors.