People watch a parade at the Nanchuan Old Street along the Cangzhou section of the Grand Canal in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, June 5, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

"I want to go to Shanghai because it's a hub for anime and manga culture," a student surnamed Yan from Beijing, who has just finished the gaokao, told the Global Times on Thursday when talking about her graduation trip plan. 

Yan said that she usually enjoys reading manga and collecting figures. Now that the exam is over, she plans to go with her family to the Bailian ZX creative center, which features the culture of animation, comics, games and novels, to buy badges and acrylic figure stands, and also visit Shanghai Disneyland.

With the conclusion of China's national college entrance exam, the graduation travel season officially ushered in its first peak in early June, multiple reports from Chinese travel platforms showed. A Chinese expert said that this year's summer tourism market is expected to get off to a good start boosted by graduation travel, the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival and activities related to the World Cup, which will fuel the expansion of domestic demand and promote the development of the services industry.

According to a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday, Tongcheng Travel said that as of June 10, searches of the term "graduation travel" were up by more than 300 percent compared with the previous month, while travel product orders from users aged 16-20 were up 35 percent month-on-month. 

When choosing travel destinations, graduates are paying attention not only to traditional factors such as natural scenery and cultural history, but also to distinctive culinary experiences, cultural and entertainment performances, and esports events, which now rank among the top considerations, the statement said. 

Another Chinese online travel platform Qunar told the Global Times on Thursday that from June 10 to the end of June, the number of departure flight tickets booked by 18-year-old travelers is up by more than 30 percent compared with the same period in May. Meanwhile, the average prices for flights and hotels were more than 50 percent lower than the summer peak season in July and August.

The gaokao admission ticket has become the "hard currency" for graduation travel. More than 100 scenic spots nationwide have launched free admission policies for gaokao students. Searches for these free-entry attractions have surged 20 times year-on-year, significantly driving up hotel bookings in surrounding areas. 

For instance, hotel bookings near the Changbai Mountain scenic area in Northeast China's Jilin Province, which offers free admission to gaokao students, have surged more than 85 percent, according to Qunar.

"The surge in graduation travel is set to become a promising start to this year's summer tourism season. Gaokao graduation trips essentially serve as an emotional release and a ritual after the grueling exam period. This is further amplified by localities' supporting policies," Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

This year, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday falls during both the graduation season and Father's Day. As the World Cup is about to kick off, taking fathers to chase stars and watch football matches has emerged as a popular option for family celebrations. According to Qunar travel data, the "Northeast Super League" campaign has boosted hotel bookings across the three northeastern provinces by more than 20 percent year-on-year during the Dragon Boat Festival period.

Zhang noted that boosted by graduation travel, the upcoming holidays as well as activities related to the World Cup, the momentum of travel demand during the summer season will continue, featuring folk culture, sports events, and graduation celebrations.

Diversified demands among different groups of consumers, including families, specific young groups, and football fans, will force the cultural and tourism industry to upgrade from standardized mass tourism to more refined, differentiated, and value-added services, which will not only fuel domestic consumption, but also promote the development of the services industry, Zhang said.