As the winter vacation approaches, family travel bookings have also reached their peak. A staff member from a travel division explained that among winter vacation family trips, two types of routes are the most popular: one is theme park tours, such as those to Hong Kong Disneyland; the other is leisure and resort-style travel, such as trips to Hainan or Southeast Asian islands. Reporters learned from Caissa Travel that during the Spring Festival, family tour slots to destinations like the U.S. and the U.K. are also in high demand. A related person in charge stated that some popular family tour routes have seen over a 20% increase in traveler numbers compared to the same period last year.
It is understood that this year, the winter vacation for primary and secondary schools falls between late January and late February, lasting about a month. Liao Weiyong revealed that the Spring Festival is the peak travel period. Traveling before or after the Spring Festival during the winter vacation not only helps avoid the holiday travel rush but also offers price advantages, with costs about 30%-40% lower than during the Spring Festival. “Domestic family travel during the winter vacation shows a trend of popularity at both ends: skiing in northeastern regions, such as the Yabuli Ski Resort in Heilongjiang or the Changbai Mountain Resort, or heading to places like Hainan and Xiamen to enjoy the warmth, are all quite popular.”
Theme park tours are the most favored by families, and various travel agencies have launched different themed park tour packages. For example, CYTS’s 3+1 Day Seoul Shopping Adventure in Korea includes a free Everland theme park pass, UTour’s “Paris Disneyland Special: 1,000-Person Chinese New Year Celebration,” and Ctrip’s “9-Day Comfortable English-Speaking Small Group Tour to Los Angeles Disneyland.” Though details vary, all take children’s needs into account. In addition, Liao Weiyong also mentioned that many leisure and resort routes to Southeast Asian islands, considering children’s higher requirements for flight duration and layovers, mostly use chartered direct flights.
Additionally, the U.S. and the U.K., as long-established outbound travel destinations, are home to multiple world-renowned universities. Many parents hope to use the holiday to take their children to visit campuses and experience the atmosphere of prestigious schools, combining education with fun. A person in charge from Caissa Travel revealed that since November last year, tourists have been booking trips to the U.S. and the U.K. After the launch of the “Thousand-Person Group” product for celebrating the Chinese New Year in the U.S., it also attracted numerous Chinese tourists. Wang Qian, Director of the Americas Division of the Outbound Tourism Department at China International Travel Service Head Office, introduced that the group is now nearly fully booked, with 60%-70% of travelers being families. Reporters also learned from Ctrip that Spring Festival tours to the U.S. have been about 80% booked and are nearing the registration deadline.