China’s domestic tourism gains momentum in 2024, marked by 5.615 billion tourist trips

Tourists take selfies at Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2024. The National Day holiday period, which runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7 this year, is a peak travel and tourism season in China. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China said on Wednesday that domestic tourism boomed in 2024, with Chinese travelers making 5.615 billion domestic trips, up 724 million from a year earlier, marking a year-on-year growth of 14.8 percent, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The data reveals that urban residents made 4.37 billion trips, a 16.3 percent increase, while rural residents made 1.245 billion trips, a 9.9 percent rise.

Quarterly data shows, the first quarter recorded 1.419 billion trips, up 16.7 percent year-on-year; the second quarter saw 1.306 billion trips, an 11.8 percent increase; the third quarter reached 1.512 billion trips, up 17.2 percent; and the fourth quarter recorded 1.378 billion trips, with a growth of 13.2 percent.

In terms of spending, domestic tourists spent 5.75 trillion yuan ($790 billion) in 2024, up 840 billion yuan from 2023, marking a 17.1-percent increase.

Urban residents contributed 4.93 trillion yuan to total tourist spending, up 18.0 percent, while rural residents spent 830 billion yuan, up 12.2 percent.