Photo: Global Times

 
During the upcoming Golden Week holiday - one of the country's most important travel periods of the year from October 1 to 8, inter-regional passenger trips in China are estimated to reach 2.36 billion. 

It equals a daily average of 295 million passenger trips -- up 3.2 percent compared with the daily average of 286 million trips during the same period last year, state broadcaster CCTV News quoted the Ministry of Transport as saying on Sunday.

At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Sunday, Ministry of Transport officials said market demand is strong for both domestic and international trips during the eight-day holiday, which combines the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. 

During the holiday, the public will be primarily for tourism and family visits, with self-driving remaining the primary mode of transportation, said the Ministry of Transport. It is projected that, during the long holiday, approximately 1.87 billion trips will be made by car, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all travels. 

During peak periods, highway traffic is expected to hit 70 million vehicle runs, with 14 million of those being new-energy vehicles. 

The peak travel day is expected to fall on October 1 when the number of travelers may exceed 340 million, surpassing the historical peak of 339 million recorded on the sixth day of the Spring Festival in 2025.

Meanwhile, data from China's major online travel platforms indicated that rail, flight and car rentals could rise compared with last year's Golden Week, as China's consumers prioritize spending on services and cultural experiences.

Driven by the long holiday effect, demand for medium and long-distance trips, particularly in major city clusters such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu-Chongqing region in Southwest China. 

Domestic and international tourism is showing strong momentum. During the holiday, demand for family and parent-child trips is expected to surge, with tourism in urban areas such as Guangzhou, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Chongqing likely to exceed last year's levels. In terms of outbound travel, there is an anticipated significant increase in the number of tourists heading to countries such as Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, according to the ministry.

The daily flow of freight vehicles is forecasted to reach 5.5 to 5.8 million, similar to the 5.55 million during the 2024 National Day holiday. The demand for the transportation of key materials, including energy, food, minerals, and daily necessities, will likely remain stable, with overall operations in railway, port, and air cargo transport to see only minimal fluctuations, said the ministry.

Global Times