“Nineteen years ago we were too young to understand love, nineteen years later we’re afraid there won’t be enough time to say it.” This Friday, China’s traditional Lantern Festival, symbolizing strong family bonds, and the Western Valentine’s Day, representing romantic love, will finally coincide on February 14, 2014, after 19 years of “developing feelings in secret.” Netizens in China have described this rare alignment of the two holidays as “when sweet dumplings meet roses.” The once-in-a-decade coincidence, which also falls on a weekend, has led many young couples to choose travel as a way to celebrate. As a result, short-distance self-guided tours ideal for couples have quickly gained popularity.
“In terms of timing, Valentine’s Day usually comes after the Spring Festival holiday. Right after the festive season, the travel peak tends to subside, so the Valentine’s Day tourism market is generally not very lively. But this year, the Western Valentine’s Day on February 14 happens to coincide with China’s Lantern Festival, and it also falls on a weekend, providing couples with convenient timing for travel,” a manager at a travel agency in Xiamen told reporters. It is understood that currently, the most popular Valentine’s Day short-distance routes are mainly centered around nearby hot spring trips.
Staff from the marketing department of Xinxin Travel Network, the largest online travel supermarket in China, told reporters: “After the Spring Festival is usually the off-season for travel. In previous years, the travel routes offered by agencies for Valentine’s Day were mainly 1-2 day short trips. But this year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday, and the following weekend gives couples a lot more options for travel. Therefore, medium-short distance trips of 3-6 days have also become very popular. Valentine’s Day will see the first post-Spring Festival travel peak. According to current booking data on Xinxin Travel Network, bookings for nearby hot springs, theme parks, and other travel products are gradually heating up. At the same time, due to the recent drop in temperatures, hot spring products are seeing particularly strong demand, with those around Xiamen being especially favored by tourists.”
From the hot spring-themed tours on Xinxin Travel Network, it can be seen that a one-day trip to Tianmu Hot Spring in Xiamen costs just 88 RMB per person. Other popular options include the Cui Feng Hot Spring Leisure One-Day Tour at 188 RMB per person, and the Xiamen Sun Moon Valley Hot Spring One-Day Tour at 158 RMB per person, both offering private and romantic hot spring pools that are perfect for couples to experience together.
Staff from the marketing department of Xinxin Travel Network also introduced that this year’s fifteenth day of the first lunar month not only includes the romantic Western Valentine’s Day but is also China’s traditional Lantern Festival. When making plans with loved ones, don’t forget to reunite with family. Considering the special needs of family travelers during the Lantern Festival, Xinxin Travel Network has also specially launched family-friendly travel routes in its “National Xin Year Tour” special section. For example, the Mount Putuo Blessing and Auspiciousness Tour is very suitable for families to enjoy together.
Industry insiders noted that the Lantern Festival and Valentine’s Day after the Spring Festival have, on one hand, stimulated the cooling tourism market. At the same time, the prices of many off-peak travel products have dropped after the holiday. The beautiful symbolism of the “double festivals” along with affordable and high-quality travel products undoubtedly hold great appeal for travel enthusiasts.