China braces for holiday travel surge

Travel demand in China will stay strong during the upcoming National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival break, with 2.36 billion trips forecast and multiple sectors gearing up to ensure smooth journeys, officials said on Sunday.

"The eight-day holiday will see strong and diverse travel demand, whether for family visits or tourism," said Li Yang, vice-minister of transport, at a news conference in Beijing.

Average daily trips are projected to reach 295 million, up 3.2 percent from 2024. The holiday will begin on Wednesday and end on Oct 8. Self-driving will dominate holiday travel, with about 1.87 billion trips expected, or nearly 80 percent of the total. Highway traffic could exceed 70 million vehicle trips per day at peak times, including 14 million new energy vehicle journeys.

"Travelers driving new energy vehicles should plan their fuel and charging stops in advance," Li said. "We have asked service areas nationwide to step up charging services, with some adding new charging piles and even mobile charging units."

Travel peaks are likely to occur on Wednesday, when passenger flows may top 340 million trips, and again on Oct 7 and 8 as people return from their travels.

Tourism demand remains strong, with Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and Chengdu, Sichuan province, among the most popular domestic destinations. Outbound travel to Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia is also expected to increase.

To ensure smooth travel, authorities are coordinating resources across rail, road, water and air. "We are making targeted plans to ease congestion and improve charging services," Li said.

Car rental demand is also surging. "Car rental and self-drive tourism have become a new choice during holidays," Li said. "We expect double-digit growth during this year's holiday."

Authorities are expanding cross-city return options and encouraging rental firms to reduce or waive fees in key clusters such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Services such as deposit-free rentals and 24-hour pick-up and return are also being promoted.

Railways will carry an estimated 219 million passengers between Monday and Oct 10, a record high. "The railway system will maximize capacity and optimize scheduling," said Wu Dejin, deputy director of the National Railway Administration. "We will dynamically analyze ticketing data and add temporary services on routes with concentrated demand."

On Wednesday, passenger flows are also expected to peak across the railway system, with about 13,000 train journeys running daily and more than 18 million passenger trips carried out on average. Air travel is forecast to hit 19.2 million passenger trips, up 3.6 percent year-on-year.

"The holiday will bring another peak after the summer travel season," said Xiong Jie, chief pilot of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. "The international market will continue to grow, especially to East Asia and Southeast Asia, while demand for South Asia and Europe is also picking up."

Weather conditions may add uncertainty to the travel rush. Xiao Chan, deputy director of the National Climate Center, said that during the holiday, parts of western China and the Huanghuai region — covering areas between the Yellow and Huai rivers in central and eastern China — will see frequent rainfall, while the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and northern part of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are likely to experience rain and snow.

Cold fronts will be active and mainly track northward, bringing lower-than-usual temperatures to Xinjiang, Shaanxi and Henan provinces, while much of the rest of the country will remain warmer than average.

"Toward the end of the holiday, a typhoon may affect southern coastal areas," Xiao added.