This summer, people are escaping the heat in the "20°C cool zone," visiting filming locations for movies and TV shows, and traveling to cities for competitions or performances. They're not only going further but also experiencing things more deeply. Furthermore, foreign tourists are upgrading their travel experiences, moving from visiting popular tourist attractions to experiencing more authentic "Chinese life." Next, we'll review some data to summarize the new changes in this year's summer tourism.

Highlight 1: The number of people traveling to smaller cities for their "first plane ticket" increased by 26% year-on-year.

Data shows that in the summer of 2026, Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guiyang, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, and Chongqing ranked among the top ten cities in terms of hotel occupancy, with mature commercial facilities and abundant study tour resources continuing to attract family tourists. Meanwhile, "cool" became a key word for summer travel, and a number of smaller cities in the "20°C cool zone" rapidly gained popularity. Among travelers purchasing their "first plane ticket" during the summer, the number choosing third-tier and lower-tier cities as destinations increased by 26% year-on-year, exceeding the growth rate of first- and second-tier cities.

Highlight Two: Traveling with Movies – “Screen-Style” Locations Gain Popularity

Data shows that inter-provincial travel accounted for over 55% of all trips during this summer vacation. Film and television IPs also continued to exert a cultural and tourism driving effect. The film "The Eight Immortals!" boosted the number of tourists visiting Datong, Shanxi, where it was filmed, by 20%, while "A Love Letter to Grandma" boosted the number of tourists visiting Shantou and Jieyang by 18% and 8%, respectively.

Highlight 3: From "Where to go" to "What to do" - Multi-scene travel becomes a new choice

This summer, tourism consumption has further shifted from simply "checking off tourist attractions" to diverse experiential activities. Data shows that in ten major categories, including water activities, summer retreats, and night tours, tourists' travel decision-making logic has shifted from "where to go" to "what to do and what to experience." "Traveling with sporting events" and "going to a city for a performance" are gradually becoming the norm, with regional sporting events, concerts, and music festivals continuing to drive visitor numbers.

Highlight 4: Inbound tourist arrivals saw double-digit growth; European tourist bookings increased by 91%.

Inbound tourism also continued its upward trend. Data shows that the number of inbound tourists during the summer of 2026 achieved double-digit growth year-on-year. Specifically, bookings from European tourists increased by 91% year-on-year; Russian tourists increased by 210%, Spanish tourists by 123%, British and Malaysian tourists both by 59%, and Australian tourists by 49%. In terms of preferred attractions and activities, classic attractions such as Shanghai Disneyland, Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, and Xi'an Terracotta Warriors remained the top choices for inbound tourists. Meanwhile, in-depth experiential tourism, such as visiting farmers' markets, practicing Baduanjin (a form of traditional Chinese exercise), and experiencing intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, which allows tourists to "live like locals," is rapidly gaining popularity. (Source: CCTV.com)