This year’s Golden Week—China’s extended National Day holiday from October 1-8—shattered records with an estimated 2.43 billion cross-regional trips, up 6.2% year-over-year and averaging 304 million daily. Highways clogged, hotspots overflowed—Chongqing alone saw a 29% order spike. Amid widespread economic jitters—layoffs, income squeezes, sluggish growth—this tourism boom defies logic. Why do outings multiply when wallets tighten? Data and trends point to layered drivers: savvy savings, selective splurges, and mental resets.
Budget Hacks Fuel Mass Mobility
Volume soared, but per-trip spending dipped to 911 RMB ($128), down from 916 RMB last year—signaling a shift to budget travel. “Poor touring” (qióng yóu) exploded: campers ditching hotels for tents or car naps, self-drives over flights, rural getaways versus urban crushes. Gen Z led with “staycations”—high-end local lounges or farm stays—racking 61 million Douyin views. Fuel or EV charges, plus cheap eats, keep costs under 500 RMB daily—accessible even on pinched budgets. Enhanced rail networks (three-hour hubs) and policy perks like visa easements amplified this, turning short hops into feasible escapes.
Hidden Wealth and ‘Treat Yourself’ Vibes
Not everyone’s scrimping—household deposits ballooned recently, buoyed by a stock rally yielding windfalls for some. Affluents—tech earners, investors—splurged on experiential treats: drone shows, heritage dances, or premium cruises hosting 14.56 million in Chongqing’s first five days. The “treat yourself economy” thrives: malls packed despite retail dips in apparel, as folks redirect from big-ticket buys (housing slumps deterred) to feel-good jaunts. Savings rates hover high, but holidays channel “unexpected gains” into joy—family reunions (52% of trips) or cultural dips—without long-term regret.
Mental Escape: Tourism as Emotional Equalizer
Economic fog breeds stress—job cuts, income stalls—but Golden Week offered catharsis. With big spends off-limits, travel fills the void: a weekend reset amid forests or festivals scatters worries, fostering balance. Overlapping National Day and Mid-Autumn vibes amplified “collective joy,” with rural outflows (Gen Z favorites) easing urban burnout. Psychologically, it’s reclaiming control: modest outings affirm resilience, countering downturn dread. As one observer noted, “Packed malls and droves of domestic tourists” signal spooked savers treating small luxuries amid uncertainty.
This tourism surge amid slowdowns isn’t anomaly—it’s adaptation. Enhanced infra and incentives (like rail expansions) democratized access, while value hunts and mood mends turned pinch into possibility. Yet as spending softens (5.4% traffic growth vs. May’s 7.9%), it hints at cautious optimism: travel as therapy, not splurge. In a wobbly economy, wandering proves: joy needn’t cost the earth.
References
- Reuters: China’s Golden Week Holiday Spending Dips (Oct 9, 2025)
- SCMP: Uptick in Super Golden Week Spending (Oct 9, 2025)
- People’s Daily: Golden Week Tourism Surge Highlights Trends (Oct 10, 2025)
- Travel and Tour World: Golden Week Growth in Travel (Oct 9, 2025)
- Kaohoon International: Deflation Concerns Mount (Oct 10, 2025)
- Cirium: Domestic Dominance to International Growth (Oct 1, 2025)
- CGTN: Golden Week Data Shows Economy on the Move (Oct 7, 2025)
- Galalive: Golden Week Breaks Records (Oct 4, 2025)
- Nation Thailand: Golden Week 2025 Sees Japan Top List (Oct 4, 2025)
- Thai PBS: Golden Week and Winning Back Visitors (Oct 3, 2025)
