By love-89.com During this year’s National Day holiday, which ran from October 1 to 7, an astonishing two billion trips were recorded across China, showcasing a notable increase in domestic travel, according to the Ministry of Transport. The statistics highlight that inter-regional mobility reached around 2.003 billion people, resulting in an average of over 28.61 million travelers each day. This represents a 3.9% rise compared to the same time last year, which included the Mid-Autumn Festival, and a significant 23.1% increase from the daily averages in 2019.
The railway system alone reported 131.25 million passenger trips, averaging about 18.75 million per day. This data shows a 6.3% growth from the figures recorded in 2023 and a remarkable 27.5% increase from 2019. On the roads, traffic data indicated a total of 1.84616 billion trips, averaging 26.37 million daily—up 3.7% from last year and 23.3% from 2019. Waterway travel accounted for 9.801 million passenger trips, with a daily average of 1.4 million, reflecting a 10% increase compared to 2023 but a 27.5% decline from 2019. In civil aviation, there were 16.096 million passenger trips during the holiday, averaging about 2.299 million per day, which shows an 11.1% rise from last year and a 22% increase since 2019.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism estimates that around 765 million people traveled domestically during the seven-day period, marking a 5.9% year-on-year increase and a substantial 10.2% rise from 2019. The total expenditure by these domestic tourists reached 700.82 billion yuan, reflecting a 6.3% increase from the previous year and a 7.9% gain compared to 2019.
This year’s holiday demonstrated a clear surge in travel enthusiasm among the public, invigorating a flourishing cultural tourism market. The variety of performances available during this time generated fresh consumer energy, with 44,300 commercial shows held nationwide, translating to a year-on-year growth of 14.5%. Box office revenues reached 2.209 billion yuan, showcasing a remarkable 25.9% rise, and attendance grew by 13.3%, totaling approximately 11.7 million spectators. The festive atmosphere in shopping areas has also emerged as a standout aspect of consumer activity.
Additionally, major cultural and tourism consumption zones monitored nationally reported an impressive nightly footfall of 96.8623 million people, a significant 25.4% increase compared to last year. Optimized visa policies and expanded visa-free travel options have also contributed to the uptick in inbound tourism.
On the border security front, authorities recorded a total of 13.098 million inbound and outbound trips during the holiday, averaging 1.871 million daily, which translates to a 25.8% increase year-on-year. The busiest day for crossings was October 5, with 2.035 million trips. Among these, mainland residents made 7.589 million trips (a 33.2% rise from last year), residents from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan accounted for 4.494 million (up 13.2%), and foreign travelers numbered 1.014 million (up 37.2%). Border control agencies processed approximately 574,000 transport vehicles during this period, representing a 32.6% increase compared to the previous year.
Overall, the efficiency and safety of border crossings during the National Day holiday received commendations, with authorities providing predictive guidance to help travelers effectively stagger their trips.