The Dragon Boat Festival holiday in China witnessed a surge in inbound and outbound tourism, with inbound travel bookings rising nearly 90 percent, as reported by Chinese online travel service Ctrip.

The three-day holiday period, which ran from May 31 to June 2, saw a significant influx of visitors from various countries and regions, drawn to China's diverse attractions and experiences.

Key source countries or regions for inbound tourism during this period included China's Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, all conveniently located within a three-hour flight of the Chinese mainland.

Thanks to expanded visa-free policies, China continues to grow in popularity as a travel destination, with the gross merchandise volume of inbound tourism attraction tickets soaring by over 150 percent compared to the previous year.

Among the most popular attractions drawing international visitors were renowned destinations such as Universal Studios in Beijing and Shanghai Disneyland Resort.

Additionally, natural scenic spots like Jiuzhaigou National Park and Huanglong Scenic Area in Sichuan province, as well as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Tianmenshan National Forest Park in Hunan province, garnered significant attention and footfall from tourists seeking unique experiences in China.

On the outbound tourism front, Japan, China's Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia emerged as the top five destinations among travelers from the Chinese mainland.

With the onset of summer, island getaways such as Indonesia's Bali, Japan's Okinawa, South Korea's Jeju, and the Maldives witnessed a notable uptick in tourist numbers.

Flight bookings to Okinawa and Bali surged by 81 percent and 52 percent, respectively.

Data from ticketing platform Tongcheng Travel revealed that average prices of domestic and international flight tickets during the holiday period experienced a drop from the day before the holiday.

However, as the national college entrance examination (gaokao) and senior high school entrance examination (zhongkao) are set to conclude by mid-June, average ticket prices are anticipated to rise steadily from June 20 onwards.

Source: thepaper.cn