Escape The Crowds: Why Post-holiday Slow Travel And Scenic Routes In China Are The New Travel Trend

Published on October 14, 2025

The inclination of slow travel is gaining momentum, particularly among retirees and older travelers, who are progressively opting for much relaxed, immersive experiences alternatively of nan accepted fast-paced sightseeing. This displacement is reshaping nan scenery of tourism, pinch much group turning to scenic routes, extended vacations, and slow recreation packages. Instead of rushing done iconic landmarks successful a whirlwind tour, travelers are seeking deeper, much meaningful connections pinch nan destinations they visit.

During China’s caller eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday (October 1-8, 2025), nan tourism manufacture knowledgeable a surge, pinch 888 cardinal home tourer trips recorded, a crisp summation from nan 765 cardinal trips successful 2024. The full spending for nan vacation reached a important 809 cardinal yuan ($113.8 cardinal USD), signaling a robust betterment successful nan tourism assemblage and a notable displacement towards flexible, off-peak recreation options. As nan recreation frenzy of nan vacation subsided, travel agencies and airlines quickly capitalized connected nan post-holiday play by offering affordable recreation deals, encouraging travelers to clasp nan beauty of slow travel.

Slow Travel: The New Standard for Enriching Journeys

As much travelers activity to flight nan bustling crowds and precocious prices of highest seasons, off-peak travel has go a compelling option. Post-holiday trips person seen an uptick successful popularity, arsenic travelers bask lower prices, thinner crowds, and milder weather. One of nan cardinal drivers of this displacement is nan expanding request for slow travel. Instead of being pressed for clip successful overcrowded tourer spots, galore are choosing to research destinations astatine a slower pace, taking nan clip to bask section culture, heritage, and earthy beauty.

Travelers aged 55 to 70 are starring nan charge, seeking autumn foliage trains, leisurely cruises, and slow recreation packages that stress a deeper connection pinch their surroundings. This increasing penchant for relaxed exploration reflects a important alteration successful really group attack vacations. Rather than squeezing aggregate destinations into a short timeframe, there’s a increasing desire for extended stays that let for existent immersion successful a region’s manner and atmosphere.

Record-Breaking Domestic Tourism and Travel Deals

The 2025 Golden Week successful China saw not only a roar successful domestic tourism, but besides a surge successful off-peak recreation demand. With awesome cities for illustration Beijing and Shanghai receiving a important influx of some domestic and world visitors, and Fujian Province welcoming complete 46 cardinal tourists, it’s clear that tourism is thriving crossed nan country. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported that home tourism spending reached 809 cardinal yuan, a testament to nan ongoing vitality of nan tourism sector.

However, arsenic nan vacation unreserved ended, travel deals took halfway stage. Japan Airlines launched a buy-one-get-one-free summons promotion, offering round-trip system fares starting astatine 700 yuan per person. Additionally, Utour, a salient Beijing-based recreation agency, reported a 110% year-on-year increase successful off-peak circuit volumes, pinch travelers showing heightened liking successful destinations specified arsenic South America, North America, Australia, and Southern Europe. These enticing offers made post-holiday recreation much affordable and appealing to a broader audience, peculiarly those seeking a slower, much immersive experience.

The Growing Preference for Smaller, Niche Tours

Another noticeable displacement successful nan recreation scenery is nan emergence of smaller, niche group tours. Rather than nan emblematic large, cookie-cutter autobus tours, travelers are opting for personalized, friendly experiences that cater to their circumstantial interests. Group sizes are shrinking from 40 group to nether 20, arsenic travelers progressively activity richer itineraries and much authentic experiences. This displacement has been peculiarly evident successful destinations that connection much slow-paced activities, specified arsenic quality walks, taste tours, and scenic train journeys.

This inclination is simply a nonstop situation to nan accepted exemplary of quick getaways and wide tourism. Instead of rushing from 1 awesome landmark to another, travelers are embracing a much mindful attack to travel, wherever nan travel itself becomes conscionable arsenic important arsenic nan destination. Smaller group sizes and customized recreation plans are giving travelers nan opportunity to slow down and research much deeply, allowing for authentic interactions pinch section communities and a much immersive recreation experience.

Impact connected Rail Travel and Scenic Journeys

One assemblage that is benefiting importantly from nan emergence of slow recreation is rail tourism. China’s rail travel saw grounds numbers during nan Golden Week holiday, pinch complete 23.13 cardinal trips recorded connected nan first time alone. The surge successful obstruction recreation highlights a increasing liking successful slow journeys, pinch travelers opting for scenic train routes that let them to return successful nan landscapes astatine a leisurely pace. The increasing fame of autumn foliage trains and slower recreation packages reflects nan desire to acquisition destinations successful a much relaxed and enriching manner.

Increased request for slower recreation experiences is besides evident successful different regions, wherever leisure cruises, historic trains, and eco-friendly recreation options are becoming much celebrated among travelers seeking alternatives to wide tourism. These recreation options let passengers to research destinations astatine a slower pace, giving them nan clip to admit nan earthy beauty and civilization of nan places they visit.

The Future of Slow Travel: More Sustainable and Thoughtful Journeys

As nan request for slower, much thoughtful recreation continues to grow, nan early of tourism whitethorn spot a displacement distant from mass tourism toward much sustainable and immersive travel experiences. Slow recreation not only offers a chance for deeper connections pinch destinations, but it besides provides an opportunity for more sustainable tourism that prioritizes nan section situation and community.

The emergence of off-peak travel, mixed pinch travel deals and nan increasing inclination of smaller, personalized tours, signals a displacement successful really group attack their vacations. For galore travelers, slow recreation is nary longer conscionable a choice—it’s a measurement to enrich their experiences while besides minimizing nan antagonistic impacts of over-tourism connected celebrated destinations.

Conclusion: Embracing nan Slow Travel Movement

The 2025 National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday highlighted nan increasing inclination toward slow travel arsenic much group activity a slower, much immersive acquisition successful their vacations. Whether it’s enjoying a scenic train journey, exploring section cultures, aliases opting for smaller group tours, nan request for relaxed, enriching travel is reshaping nan tourism industry.

This displacement offers a promising outlook for nan early of travel, 1 wherever meaningful experiences and thoughtful exploration return precedence complete rushed sightseeing. As much travelers clasp slow travel, destinations and circuit operators alike are adapting to meet nan request for personalized, immersive journeys that let group to genuinely link pinch nan places they visit.