Tujia's Qingming multi-room bookings increase by over 30%, with homestays becoming a reflection on the "check-in style travel" entry point

Does the growth of small-town homestays indicate a shift toward in-depth travel experiences?

Company intelligence expert “Finance Doodle” has learned that, according to Tujia data, during the recently concluded Qingming holiday, the booking volume of homestays in provinces with spring breaks outperformed the national average.

Among them, Jiangsu Province’s homestay bookings ranked first nationwide, with Sichuan and Anhui both seeing year-on-year increases of over 50%. Family groups traveling together with children have become the main force, driving a more than 30% year-on-year increase in multi-room bookings.

The advantages of multi-room, spacious homestays are further evident

Tujia data shows that from April 1 to April 6, during the spring holiday period, bookings for homestays in these regions saw a significant rise, with Jiangsu’s bookings ranking first nationwide, and Sichuan and Anhui both experiencing over 50% year-on-year growth.

During the spring holiday and Qingming period, bookings by the 30-45 age group accounted for over 44%, with “Post-80s” booking volumes increasing nearly 60% year-on-year, making them the main group traveling with children. Meanwhile, room types suitable for multiple people living together are becoming more popular: bookings for standalone villas increased by 25% year-on-year, and 4-bedroom, 4-bed room types increased by 54%.

“Business during Qingming in previous years was usually not as good as during May Day, but this year it’s noticeably different,” revealed Wang Qiang, a Tujia host at Xingu·Wujia Homestay in Dujiangyan, Sichuan. Since April 1, his homestay has seen a surge of family groups, many of which are three or four families staying together, with mothers bringing children to book entire units.

Hu Yang, Senior Vice President of Tujia, said that spring break has released the demand for family travel, which was originally concentrated during summer and “May Day,” and has further highlighted the advantages of multi-room, spacious homestays as “family accommodations.”

Reflecting on “high-density check-in” style travel, driving the rise of small-town tourism

Compared to big cities, small-town hotel supply is often more limited, while homestays are more flexible in terms of quantity, room types, and price ranges, and are closer to key attractions and local life scenes.

The China Luoyang Peony Cultural Festival, which opened on April 1, has quickly boosted local cultural tourism. Tujia data shows that during the Qingming holiday, Luoyang’s homestay bookings ranked second nationwide, making it one of the most popular destinations for spring flower viewing trips.

Meanwhile, a number of hidden small towns are also attracting visitors. Tujia data indicates that during Qingming, the small towns with booking growth doubling include Puer, Fangchenggang, Yili, Bijie, and Anshun.

Hu Yang believes that the rise of small-town tourism is fundamentally a reflection of tourists reconsidering “high-density check-in” style travel. Homestays, with their proximity to scenic spots, diverse styles, and stronger local attributes, are becoming an important entry point for this type of travel.

Tujia data also shows that during the Qingming holiday, bookings for suburban city homestays increased by about 20% year-on-year. The most popular homestay areas around Beijing include Jizhou Panshan Scenic Area, Yanqi Lake, and Longqing Gorge; around Shanghai, they include Taihu/West Mountain Scenic Area in Suzhou, Chongming Island, and Luhang Anji Lingfeng Mountain. Tourists from Guangzhou are also more inclined to visit nearby small towns, with the highest booking volumes for destinations including Qingyuan, Zhuhai, Huizhou, Foshan, and Jiangmen.