China Holiday Cross-Regional Travel Tops 300 Million

Cross-regional passenger travel across China surpassed 300 million trips on October 5, the Ministry of Transport said, as the country entered the return-trip peak of its week-long National Day Golden Week holiday. Xinhua, citing the ministry, reported the figure, which underscores strong demand for domestic tourism and family visits during China’s longest public holiday stretch of the year.

The milestone came on the fifth day of the holiday, with October 6 marking the sixth and the start of the nationwide return-trip wave. Rail travel accounted for a significant share: national railways were expected to carry 21.05 million passengers on October 5, IT之家 reported, with authorities planning 1,463 additional trains to meet demand.

Context: A Golden Week in Full Swing

The National Day holiday is China’s marquee travel period, with hundreds of millions of people crisscrossing the country to visit family, tour scenic sites, and take advantage of an extended break. In 2026, the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day fell close together, creating a combined holiday period that officials had forecast would generate enormous travel volume.

At a September 24 press conference held by the State Council Information Office, officials projected 2.78 billion cross-regional trips for the combined Mid-Autumn and National Day period, according to China Youth Daily’s 三里河. The Mid-Autumn portion was expected to account for about 650 million trips, while the seven-day National Day holiday alone was projected at 2.13 billion trips — averaging roughly 300 million per day, or about 1.7 times normal levels.

Key Developments: Rail Momentum Builds

The daily figures illustrate a steady build toward the return-trip peak. National railways sent 19.273 million passengers on October 3 and 20.32 million on October 4, described by the operator as safe and orderly, before the expected 21.05 million on October 5.

Provincial data offered a window into the tourism boom. Guangdong’s 4A-and-above scenic areas received 3.253 million visitors on October 5, according to the Guangzhou Daily, citing the provincial culture and tourism department. The province’s 13 monitored classic “red tourism” sites drew 250,000 visitors, while 100 rural and cultural sites and 100 public cultural institutions attracted 393,000 and 457,000 respectively. Officials noted that red tourism — visits to revolutionary heritage sites — has been noticeably rising, with cumulative visits to some memorials up more than 26 percent year-on-year during the first four days of the holiday.

Analysis: What the Numbers Reveal

The scale of movement reflects more than holiday enthusiasm. Analysts point to several structural shifts now visible in China’s travel economy.

First, road travel dominates. Officials forecast that road trips would account for more than 90 percent of holiday journeys, with first-day highway volume projected at 71 million vehicles, the China Youth Daily analysis noted.

Second, the holiday has become a showcase for China’s new-energy vehicle transition. New-energy vehicle highway traffic was projected at 17.8 million on day one — 1.8 times normal levels — supported by rapid expansion of service-area charging infrastructure.

Third, travel patterns are diversifying. “County-level deep tourism” grew, with flights to third-tier and smaller cities up more than 30 percent, while inbound foreign tourism continued to rise. Red tourism also gained prominence, reflecting a broader cultural emphasis during the holiday.

For historical comparison, in the 2025 National Day period the first four days saw cumulative cross-regional travel of 1.249 billion trips, a 5.7 percent year-on-year increase, with four consecutive days above 300 million, according to 封面新闻. The 2026 figures suggest that momentum has held or strengthened.

What’s Next

With October 6 marking the return-trip peak, transport authorities have rolled out measures to manage concentrated passenger flows. Multiple train stations renovated parking areas and dynamically opened extra exit gates to handle sudden surges, coordinating with local transport departments to increase bus frequency and extend night operating hours. Some cities are promoting an integrated “high-speed rail + bus + cultural tourism” transfer model to ease connections.

The coming days will test whether infrastructure and services can absorb the return wave smoothly — and whether the strong travel demand signals a sustained recovery in consumer confidence heading into the final quarter of the year.