The unexpected overlap of the Dragon Boat Festival and International Children's Day this year has sparked a unique blend of traditional culture and childhood joy, injecting fresh vitality into China's holiday travel market. Family (including those with children) trips surged in popularity with tourists showing growing interest in themes like folk customs, dragon boat races, cultural heritage, and theme parks. According to Chinese online travel agency Tuniu's 2025 Dragon Boat Festival Travel Trend Report, the three-day holiday prompted many travelers to opt for local or short-distance getaways, with Qingdao emerging as a standout among the top choices—ranking in the top 10 for both self-drive trips and long-haul domestic travel destinations.

Qingdao Secures Double Top-Ten Rankings

Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Changzhou have been identified as the most popular destinations for self-drive travelers this Dragon Boat Festival, according to the report. Cross-regional tourism within key economic zones—namely the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—has seen especially strong demand. High-speed rail travel also showed clear momentum, driven by the convenience of the 2-hour high-speed rail circle. Tourists are shown to prefer destinations reachable within two hours by train, favoring convenience and flexibility. Top picks for high-speed rail travelers included Changsha, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing, Wuhan, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Datong, and Suzhou. For longer domestic trips, cities such as Sanya, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Qingdao, Chongqing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, and Chengdu remain in high popularity, reflecting sustained interest in established travel hubs across the country.

With the Dragon Boat Festival falling close to the summer break yet offering only a three-day window, outbound travel during the holiday has primarily centered on short-haul destinations such as Japan, the Maldives, and various Southeast Asian countries.

Family Travel Surges

This year's Dragon Boat Festival, falling well ahead of school finals and coinciding with Children's Day, sparked a notable rise in family travel. Family trips emerged as a major force in the holiday tourism market. According to the report, nearly 40% of travelers during the holiday were families with children. Short trips remained the preferred format, with 2-day and 3-day itineraries accounting for 44% and 37% of family trips, respectively.

Popular destinations for family-based travel included Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Zhuhai, Fuzhou, Dalian, Chongqing, and Xiamen.

Self-drive holidays have become the top choice for families, accounting for 54% of all family trips during the Dragon Boat Festival. Theme park destinations offering bundled "stay and play" packages were especially in demand—particularly Shanghai Disney Resort, Chimelong Tourist Resorts in Guangzhou and Zhuhai, and Universal Beijing Resort. Beyond amusement parks, family travelers also showed strong interest in cultural and educational experiences, including folk heritage tours, museum visits, and nature exploration activities, making these themed travel products some of the most sought-after this season.

编辑：曹晓旭