China's travel sector demonstrated remarkable resilience during the combined National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, with a record-breaking 1.24 billion cross-regional passenger trips recorded in the first half of the eight-day celebration. The Ministry of Transport announced the figures Sunday, highlighting the strongest holiday travel performance since records began.
Road travel dominated preferences, accounting for 278.73 million trips on Saturday alone – a 6.2% year-on-year increase. Railway networks handled 18.33 million passengers (up 4.5%), while air travel saw 2.32 million journeys (4.1% growth). Waterway transport recorded 1.91 million trips, reflecting a 5.6% rise from 2022 levels.
The average daily passenger flow surpassed 310 million during the holiday's initial phase, with Saturday's single-day total reaching 301.29 million trips. Analysts suggest these numbers signal both economic recovery and evolving consumer confidence, as families reunite and tourists explore cultural landmarks during the 'Golden Week' period.
