This summer, the enhancement of transportation networks and a change in travel preferences have led to a steady rise in visitors to small cities across China. The trend of "enjoying summertime in small towns" is gaining popularity, emerging as a key driver in the domestic tourism market's growth. Data from Qunar reveals that this summer, hotel bookings in fourth and fifth-tier cities and their counties have seen the most significant increase, with the reservations for high-star hotels (four-star and above) rising by 47% compared to the same period last year.

The "2024 Mid-Year Tourism Consumption Report" by Tuniu shows a remarkable increase in the number of trips to third and fourth-tier cities and county-level destinations such as Dali, Nyingchi, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Mudanjiang, and Qingyuan. Among them, Dali has seen a more than threefold increase in visitors year-on-year, while visitors to destinations such as Nyingchi, Lingshui, Mudanjiang, and Qingyuan have also doubled.

Data from Umetrip also indicates that in July, domestic civil aviation passenger volume surpassed 58.57 million, growing by approximately 6% from the previous year. Among these, flights to and from small and medium-sized airports (excluding those with over ten million passengers annually) totaled around 200,000. Xining Caojiabao Airport, Shuofang International Airport in Wuxi, and Lijiang Sanyi International Airport topped the list for passenger traffic, with Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport ranking seventh.

The majority of tourists favoring county-level travel this summer hail from first- and second-tier cities, where ease of transportation is a significant factor in their choice of destination.

"County tourism's progress is closely tied to the maturity of local infrastructure," observes Cai Muzi, a researcher at the Big Data Research Institute of Qunar. The current boom in county tourism is expected to catalyze further development in local infrastructure, which in turn will bolster the growth of the county's tourism sector.

Industry insiders believe that the convenience of transportation, especially in counties adjacent to renowned scenic spots, will become a pivotal growth area for the hotel and travel industry. Reports suggest that an increasing number of hotel chains and upscale hotels are expanding into fourth and fifth-tier cities and county markets.

It's noteworthy that the appeal of county tourism extends beyond affordability. Amid a general decrease in summer hotel rates, there has been a 30% increase in bookings for hotels with an average price of over 400 yuan in fourth and fifth-tier cities and their counties compared to pre-summer levels. Compared with the same period last year, the booking volume for high-star hotels in these areas has risen by 47%, accounting for 22% of the total, with the primary customer base coming from first-tier and new first-tier cities, including Chengdu, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and more.

Cai Muzi attributes the rise in high-star hotel bookings in county cities to two main factors: the scarcity of such hotels in these regions, leading to high demand in popular spots, and a change in travel trends. "More and more tourists are willing to go to fourth and fifth-tier cities to explore different landscapes and obtain different experiences. Additionally, the significant rise in family travel during the summer has seen parents opting for higher-quality accommodations for their trips with children."

Source :Lingnan on the Cloud

“小城游”燃爆暑期市场！县城高星酒店预订涨47%

今年基于交通配套的完善以及大众旅行方式的转变，暑期各地小城市迎来持续客流增长，“去小城过暑假”正在悄然流行，成为国内游市场增长的一大亮点。去哪儿大数据显示，今年暑期四五线城市及下辖县酒店预订量涨幅居各类城市之首，高星酒店预订量比去年同期上涨47%。

途牛最新发布的《2024年上半年度旅游消费报告》显示，大理、林芝、陵水黎族自治县、牡丹江、清远等三四线城市及县域目的地出游人次增长显著，其中，前往大理的出游人次同比增长超3倍，林芝、陵水、牡丹江、清远等目的地的出游人次同比增长也达到2倍以上。

另据航旅纵横大数据，7月国内航线民航旅客运输量超5857万人次，同比去年增长约6%，其中中小机场（除千万级机场以外的机场）进出港航班量约20万班次。西宁曹家堡机场、无锡硕放机场、丽江三义机场成为旅客吞吐量最多的三座中小机场，揭阳潮汕机场位居第七。

暑期青睐县域旅游的旅客大多来自一二线城市，交通方式的便捷成为异地旅客选择到县域目的地游玩的重要因素。

“县城旅游发展程度与地方基础设施建设成熟度高度相关。”去哪儿大数据研究院研究员蔡木子分析，今年县域旅游的火热有望带动地方建设进一步提速，而地方基础设施建设也将反哺县城旅游业的发展。

在业界看来，交通便利，特别是靠近知名风景区的县城，将成为酒旅市场下一个重要增长点。据悉，目前已有越来越多的连锁酒店集团、中高档酒店加速布局四五线城市和县域市场。

值得一提的是，人们选择去县城旅游不只是因为“便宜”。记者了解到，在暑期酒店价格普降的背景下，暑期四五线城市下辖县区支付价格在400元以上的酒店预订量较暑期前增长30%；与去年同期相比，四五线城市下辖区县的高星酒店预订量增长47%，占比达到22%，其主要客源地为一线和新一线城市，包括成都、北京、重庆、广州、上海等地。

对于县域城市高星酒店预订占比的提升，蔡木子认为，一方面是因县域高星酒店较为稀少，在部分热点区域供不应求；另一方面，则是受到人们旅行方式改变的影响。“越来越多的旅客愿意下沉到四五线城市，探索不一样的风景，获得不一样的体验。此外，暑期亲子游占比大幅增加，带孩子去县城玩的家长往往偏好住更好的酒店。”

文｜记者 刘星彤
译｜史洋溢
英文审校｜赵凡