Date: September 4, 2023
Source: Kunming Daily
In the summer of 2023, alongside the persistent high temperatures, the tourism market has been equally scorching. When it comes to the hottest domestic tourist destination of the summer, Yunnan, with an average temperature of only 22.9 Celsius, cannot be overlooked. The continuously popular destinations like Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang, as well as the rapidly gaining popularity of "off-the-beaten-path" destinations like Yuxi, Puer, and Lincang, are igniting the summer tourism market in Yunnan.
At the beginning of this summer, Ctrip released data indicating a 248% year-on-year increase in Yunnan summer tourism bookings, with inter-provincial travel accounting for more than 90% of the orders. On 5 August, China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd. recorded a record-breaking 425,000 passengers in a single day, with the number of passengers departing from Dali and Lijiang stations setting new historical records. "We can't keep up, it's just non-stop," has become the sentiment of those working in the Yunnan tourism industry this summer.
In the early morning, tourists waiting to enter the Yunnan Army Lecture Hall History Museum formed a long line outside. Inside the Daguan Chuan Xin Agricultural Market, most of the passers-by were tourists enjoying food, taking photos, and experiencing the local atmosphere. Even in the late hours of the night, the streets and alleys of Nanqiang in Kunming were still lively.
How hot is summer tourism in Kunming? Zhang Lingling, the manager of a boutique hotel in Kunming, stated that starting from early July, the hotel's booking volume noticeably increased, with occupancy rates mostly exceeding 50%. On August 28th, Lvmama Travel Network released its "2023 Summer Tourism Consumption Summary Report," showing that this summer, domestic long-distance trips dominated summer tourism consumption, accounting for over 70%, with Yunnan making the list of popular long-distance travel destinations. As an important transportation hub and tourist destination, Kunming's reservations for travel products increased by over 200% compared to the previous summer.
Data from the Yunnan Travel Agency Association shows that since July, the number of tourists entering Yunnan has continued to increase. In addition to Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang, the number of tourists in cities and prefectures such as Puer, Dehong, and Baoshan has also been steadily rising. A family from Xiamen chose Puer as the first stop for their parent-child trip. Mrs. Lin said, "When traveling with children, in addition to considering scenic beauty and culture, we also hope to eat safely, stay comfortably, and have fun. We plan to visit the unique attractions in Puer, taste Puer tea, and try Puer coffee."
This summer, many tourists chose to embark on reverse-depth tours to "off-the-beaten-path" destinations, experiencing the local customs and traditions. Destinations that combine cool weather, natural scenery, cultural charm, and culinary culture have become the first choice for some travelers. Honghe Prefecture made it to the list of destinations with the largest increase in bookings on Lvmama Travel Network. On Qunar's platform, Lincang and Yuxi ranked third and fourth in the list of high-star hotel booking growth rates in less popular cities in the summer, with the booking volume of high-star hotels more than doubling compared to 2019. In early August, Mangshi saw a 78% increase in popularity on the Mafengwo website after it trended for "40 tons of free fruit giveaway."
Xiao Peng, a researcher at Qunar's Big Data Research Institute, commented, "Avoiding crowds, getting away from the hustle and bustle, and choosing non-famous small towns for tourism is a new way to travel. For many tourists, resting for a few days in a quiet place is better than following the crowd. Last year, reverse tourism became a new trend during the National Day holiday. This year, reverse tourism will be the choice of even more tourists."
(Reporter: Li Sifan)