Ctrip estimates 650 million domestic travellers over Golden Week
Hongqiao Railway Station
Golden Week – the annual week-long holiday in October that celebrates the China's National Day (this year from October 1-8) – is almost here, and hundreds of millions of people across the nation will be packing their bags and heading out for vacations.
According to the results of an annual report from Ctrip published in Sina News, more than 650 million people will be choosing to travel domestically this year. While a further six million people will be heading overseas. And you thought changing lines at People's Square gets busy...
Compared to last year’s Golden Week, more people are interested in taking longer trips this time around, with the top preferences for trip length being four to six days, seven to ten days, and some people even booking excursions in excess of ten days. This may have something to do with the holiday lasting eight days this year, due to it coinciding with the Mid Autumn Festival.
Thailand, Japan and the United States remain the top three most popular destinations for overseas travels, followed by Singapore, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Italy, Russia and Malaysia, while the top domestic destinations are Hainan, Yunnan and Beijing, along with some more remote areas such as Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.
If the thought of traveling during this excessively busy period gives you tremendous anxiety, basically just stay in Shanghai.
Cover image: Monika via flickr.
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