314 Million Tourists Spend 34 Trillion Won in Just 5 Days... Labor Day Travel Boom Boosts Chinese Economy

"Influx of Overseas Tourists to China Continues to Recover"
Overseas Visitors Account for 57.4% of Total Tourists

The number of tourists visiting China during the Labor Day Golden Week holiday (May 1-5) exceeded 300 million.

On May 7, China National Radio, citing data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, reported that "the number of tourists visiting China during the Labor Day holiday reached 314 million, a 6.4% increase compared to the previous year."

Tourists visiting a section of the Great Wall near Beijing, China, on May 5. Photo by EPA

According to the report, total tourist spending in China amounted to 180.269 billion yuan (approximately 34.77 trillion won), representing an 8.0% increase from the previous year. The average spending per tourist was 574 yuan (about 110,000 won), up 1.5% year-on-year.

China National Radio also noted that a significant number of tourists came from South Korea, Myanmar, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Thailand, the Philippines, Russia, Vietnam, and Japan. The report further explained that "the influx of overseas tourists continues to recover," with international visitors accounting for 57.4% of the total. In addition to Beijing, Tianjin, and Guangdong, destinations such as Tengchong in Yunnan Province, Xixian in Shanxi Province, Anqing in Anhui Province, and Kashgar in Xinjiang continue to enjoy steady popularity.

On the same day, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism announced that the number of tourists visiting Beijing reached 17.908 million, a 5.6% increase compared to the same period last year. According to the data, the number of international tourists rose by 42.4% year-on-year. Total tourist spending amounted to approximately 20.98 billion yuan (about 4.057 trillion won), a 6.9% increase from last year. Local Chinese media reported that this figure marked an all-time high. Popular attractions included Tiananmen, Wangfujing, Temple of Heaven Park, and the Summer Palace.

Tianjin also announced that during the holiday period, the number of tourists visiting Tianjin reached 16.932 million, a 20.3% increase compared to the previous year. Of these, 7.3145 million were local tourists, accounting for about 43.2%, while 9.6178 million, or 56.8%, came from other regions. Tourist spending reached 14.952 billion yuan (about 2.8914 trillion won), up 22.5% year-on-year.

Additionally, according to the Ministry of Transport, the number of people traveling between regions in China during the holiday exceeded 1.46 billion, surpassing expectations. The National Immigration Administration reported that the number of border crossings during the holiday reached 10.896 million, a 28.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Of these, 5.778 million were mainland Chinese residents, up 21.2%, and 1.115 million were foreigners, a 43.1% increase. Chinese experts analyzed that the travel boom is expected to inject vitality into consumption growth in the second quarter of this year.