Tourists visit the Fuzi (Confucius) Temple scenic area in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 18, 2023. Qinhuai District of Nanjing has been boosting and diversifying its tourism economy in recent years through joint efforts in entertainment, sightseeing, catering and shopping services. A number of tourist attractions designed for nighttime visit were established there to enrich the nightlife of both tourists and local residents, and infuse new vigor into urban consumption.(Photo: Xinhua)

As China experiences post-COVID summer tourism peak, 74.9 percent of respondents have encountered difficulties in making reservations for main attractions or venues, according to a recent survey which interviewed 1,501 participants, revealing that the challenges of reserving scenic spots and their limited operating hours have inconvenienced many parents and children during their travel. 

During the survey, 61.4 percent of the respondents suggested that some attractions and venues should extend operating hours. To enhance the comfort of summer travel, 59.0 percent of the respondents recommended choosing off-peak periods to take a holiday.

The heat of the summer tourism market in 2023 is expected to surpass that of the same period in 2019, according to media reports. During the months of July and August when students are on summer break, the number of domestic tourist trips is expected to reach 1.331 billion, accounting for 20.18 percent of the total annual domestic tourism, according to a forecast model published by the China Tourism Academy.

As the main consumers in the summer tourism market, the significant growth of student and family traveler segments represents a crucial indicator of the resurgence of the peak season activity over the summer months. 

Huangshan Mountain in East China's Anhui Province announced on August 21 that the number of tourists received by the scenic area this year has exceeded 3 million, 60 days ahead of 2019 to break this threshold, and it is also the earliest year in the history of Huangshan Scenic Area to cross the 3 million people market.

At Shanghai Disney Resort, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, the waiting time for several rides exceeds 60 minutes, and some even reaches about 240 minutes, according to media reports.

Data revealed that the two age groups of under 18 and 34-43 years old accounted for the highest proportion of tourists, adding up to more than 50 percent, of which children accounted for 10 percent.

"It was impossible to secure tickets for the popular museums and science centers. We had to change our strategy and only managed to secure tickets for a few niche museums," said a mother who brought her children to Beijing for summer vacation.

In addition to the difficulty of making reservations for attractions, the survey also revealed that 71.8 percent of respondents felt crowded, experienced long queue. About 69.0 percent of participants perceived a rise in prices during the peak travel season, leading to increased expenses. Moreover, 63.0 percent of those surveyed expressed concern about the hot weather, with a risk of heatstroke.

"Almost every scenic spot in Beijing is full of people, and this summer is particularly hot, which impacts the experience," a visitor to Beijing said, adding that summer nights are a good time to visit, but many scenic spots and venues still provide services according to the original business hours, which makes it difficult for tourists.

In order to improve the tourist experience, some popular sites in Beijing have extended their opening hours on the premise of ensuring safety and service quality, and eligible tourist spots have opened night shows and increased night tours.

The Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau announced earlier that in order to meet the needs of visitors during the summer vacation, 46 museums in Beijing will cancel the policy of closing on Mondays until August 31, allowing visitors to visit museums every day.

Additionally, museums in Beijing are proactively adapting their reservation systems based on the number of tourists, exhibition content, and demands of audiences. They are also actively exploring flexible extended opening hours tailored to the tourism experience and visitor needs, all in the pursuit of enhancing the enjoyment of these venues.

Global Times