China's National Day holiday sees 2.14 billion trips: rail up, air travel flat

Cross-regional trips in China during the National Day holiday (Oct. 1–7) totaled about 2.14 billion, or 306 million a day, slightly above the Ministry of Transport's pre-holiday forecast of 2.13 billion. Rail travel rose by double digits, but air travel stayed at last year's level, so it is too early to say the extra movement has turned into a consumer recovery.

By FOCUS BUSINESS editorial staff

According to the Ministry of Transport, average daily trips were up less than 1% from last year's combined Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday. Because that break ran eight days, the comparison is based on daily averages. This year the Mid-Autumn holiday (Sept. 25–27) and National Day were separate; taking leave on the three working days in between allowed up to 13 days off.

Roads carry 90%, rail grows by double digits

More than 90% of trips were by road. Rail passengers exceeded 150 million, with daily averages up more than 10% from last year. Air passengers numbered about 17 million, with daily averages roughly flat. Waterway passengers totaled around 11 million.

Outbound travel up 9%

The National Immigration Administration said 4.444 million mainland residents traveled abroad during the holiday, up 9.3% from last year. Total border crossings were 15.462 million.

Before the holiday, Korean media reported, based on bookings on Chinese travel platforms, that Seoul had become a popular overseas destination. Official figures for Chinese visitors to Korea during the holiday are not yet available. Data from Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism show about 4.82 million Chinese visitors in January–August, up 29% from a year earlier, so the upward trend continues.

Business Checkpoints

With daily trip growth below 1% and air demand flat, firms should judge by actual sales data for each product rather than count on a big holiday boost. Consumer goods and food-service companies that rely on Chinese domestic demand will get a clearer picture by comparing holiday sales with last year on a daily-average basis.

Korean tourism and retail businesses can adjust fourth-quarter promotions and inventory after checking the Korea Tourism Organization's October arrivals data. Firms working with factories and logistics providers in China should check whether any partners were slow to restart after the long break, and build next February's Spring Festival holiday into delivery plans now.

※ This article is based on figures released by China's Ministry of Transport and National Immigration Administration and Korean and international media reports.