Fliggy’s 2024 Summer Travel Report shows surge in demand for premium experiences

Immersive experiences were another popular trend

Online travel platform, wholly owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group, Fliggy, has revealed a significant year-on-year growth in average booking volume and spending per consumer in its 2024 Summer Travel Report.

This trend in its data, consistent with patterns observed during the Labor Day and Dragon Boat Festival holidays, is said to also reflect travellers’ growing desire for immersive experiences.

Fliggy's data indicated a significant increase in demand for premium travel services.

The average booking per consumer for four- and five-star hotels, package tours, and car rentals in the domestic market have all shown impressive year-on-year growth.

Domestic package tour bookings have seen double-digit growth and bookings for directly-operated brand hotels have risen by approximately 30% following a strong rebound in bookings last summer.

Self-driving tours are increasingly popular, with domestic car rental bookings rising by 60% year-on-year.

Families in China are renting cars to explore more far-flung destinations such as Altay in Xinjiang, the Lesser Khingan Mountains, or the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop.

In Northern and Western China, popular destinations like Heihe, Alar and Bijie have seen car rental bookings increase by over 200% compared to last year.

The release of the Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong has also driven tourism to its featured locations, such as the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple in Shanxi province.

Data from Fliggy showed ticket bookings for scenic spots in Shanxi have increased by over 60% year-on-year, while car rental bookings have risen by more than 130%.

The report also found that independent travel continues to lead the outbound travel market this summer, representing over 80% of total bookings.

Consumers are seeking immersive local experiences, such as visiting historic sites and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants.

The transaction volume for international cruises and car rentals has increased over 20 and 5 times year-on-year, respectively.

As the longest holiday season, summer has seen a rise in long-distance travel.

Data saw bookings for long-distance destinations such as France, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Serbia have all doubled year-on-year.

Activities featuring rich local cultural elements ranging from Seine River cruises in Paris, ballet performances in St. Petersburg, and dune bashing in the Red Sea, rank high in terms of transaction volume.

Fliggy announced at the same time that its Summer Protection services have provided protection to nearly one million travellers this season.

Since July 1, Fliggy introduced six key measures to address common consumer concerns, such as flight cancellations, hotel price fluctuations, itinerary coordination for flights and hotels, and high-risk activities during travel.

These measures aim to protect consumers from potential losses and provide reassurance around the travel decision-making process.

Nearly one million consumers have already benefited from Fliggy's Summer Protection services, which provide eligible consumers with free cancellation options, price protection subsidies for hotel rate reductions, and RMB1 million (approximately USD137,000) worth of coverage for personal accident injuries and rescue services related to bookings of designated water sports activities.

Zhang Chen, vice president of Fliggy, said: “Our latest report shows the trend of travellers opting for higher-quality activities and personalized travel products is becoming a reality and the new norm.

“At Fliggy, we remain attuned to market trends and committed to delivering enriching experiences for all our customers.

“Fliggy will continue to enhance our offerings, expand the travel product portfolio, and reinforce service protection measures to meet the evolving needs of travellers.”