Homestay bookings surge as May Day holiday approaches; Zibo tops popular destinations

As Chinese people's enthusiasm for travel rises, tourism-related booking volumes for the upcoming May Day holiday (April 29 to May 3) has surged, with homestays gaining more popularity.

Data released by homestay operator Tujia shows that as of April 17, the platform's bookings for homestays during the May Day holiday were twice that of the same period in 2019, with an average price of 534 yuan (about $77.6) for one night.

Shandong province has topped the list of the country's most popular travel destinations. Data shows that the booking volume of homestays for the May Day holiday in the region increased three times compared to the same period in 2019, with an average nightly rate slightly lower than the national average of 522 yuan.

Homestay booking volumes in Zibo city of the province have increased 12 times compared to 2019 due to the "barbecue craze" in the city, which has become an overnight sensation. "All the 17 rooms for the holiday were already fully booked a few days ago," said Zhou Shuo, a Tujia Homestay landlord in Zibo.

Other cities in Shandong province have also "performed well," with Qingdao surpassing traditional tourist hotspots Chengdu and Chongqing for the first time to take the top spot and Weihai entering the top 10.

In addition to Shandong, this year's May Day holiday has also seen a surge in bookings for seaside destinations for leisure and vacation.

Data from Tujia shows that 10 cities have seen homestay bookings increase four times compared to before the pandemic, with eight of them located by the seaside. Weihai leads the way with a 14.6-fold increase in homestay bookings, followed by Rizhao, Fuzhou, Taizhou, and Shantou.

It is worth mentioning that Haitan Ancient City in Pingtan of Fujian province, which became famous for its natural wonder "blue tears," has surpassed Chongqing's Jiefangbei and Changsha's Wuyi Square to become the second most popular commercial district, second only to the ancient city in Dali.

Over 90 percent of the homestays in Pingtan have already been booked, with rooms featuring sea views of the "blue tears" fully booked.

Besides, rural homestays remain popular. Data from Tujia shows that rural homestay bookings for this year's May Day holiday accounted for nearly 40 percent of the platform's total bookings. The top 10 cities with the highest booking volumes for rural homestays include Dali, Beijing, Xiamen, Lijiang, Suzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, and Beihai.

Among guests who booked rural homestays, those born in the 1980s and 1990s remain the mainstream, accounting for over 60 percent of bookings. Loft-style accommodations, guesthouses, and detached villas are popular booking options while picking rural fruit and vegetable, making handicrafts, and tasting local cuisines are the most popular experiential activities.