Chinese travelers on a tight budget search for less expensive options during Golden Week.

The Golden Week holiday, which begins on Tuesday, is anticipated to see more extended travel by Chinese tourists than in previous years, but experts in the travel industry predict that this will not necessarily translate into higher travel sector expenditure.They anticipate that many travelers would choose less expensive domestic or short-haul international locations during the week-long National Day vacation, taking advantage of a drop in airfares, as the economy slows and consumer confidence remains just above historic lows. Due to the extended vacation, the holiday season typically sees a boom in Chinese travel, particularly overseas. According to government forecasts, the average number of trips handled by the country's transportation industry each day would increase by just 0.7% this year.According to Liu Simin, an official with the tourism division of Beijing-based research institute China Society for Futures Studies, "it would be a good result if tourism spending remains flat with last year." "Traveling is more popular when the economy is doing well, but tourism does not grow when there is no economic growth." Beijing office worker Wang Xin declared she would take her family by car to Yangzhou, a nearby city famous for its lakes, gardens, and fried rice. The 45-year-old stated, "We'll drive instead of taking the train because there is no toll fee during holidays." It would be wiser to avoid squandering money when the economy is weak. Many individuals are losing their employment, and if it occurred to me at my age,

DROPPING AIRFARES According to data from travel website Flight Master, domestic ticket costs will be 21% less than they were around the same time last year, while international economy class fares will be 25% less than in 2023 and 7% less than in 2019. Travelers heading abroad are expected to continue choosing short-haul Asian hubs like Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore as their foreign destinations of choice. The top travel destinations, according to Trip.com, the largest online travel agency in China, are in Asia. However, this year, there has been a noticeable trend toward longer-stay, long-haul destinations like Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and France. According to HSBC analysts, "travelers will probably take advantage of lower ticket prices to travel farther, stay longer, and upgrade to a higher starred hotel."