As the 2026 summer holiday season draws to a close, the shift in travel patterns is becoming clear. Major first-tier cities have solidified their status as top family destinations this year, thanks to their well-established commercial infrastructure and abundant educational tourism resources.

According to travel platform Qunar, Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guiyang, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, and Chongqing were the top ten cities for hotel bookings during the summer season. Notably, the number of travelers booking their "first-ever flight" to small airport cities in third-tier and lower regions climbed 26% year-on-year, outpacing growth in major metropolitan areas.

Now that the summer rush has ended, average airfares for the first week of September have dropped 35% from their peak season highs. These prices are also roughly 50% cheaper than those expected for the National Day holiday on October 1st. With favorable weather across many regions, this period is being hailed as a prime window for bargain hunters to secure travel deals.

Discounted economy-class tickets are still widely available, with many fares priced at 90% off. For instance, on September 1st, direct flights from Beijing to destinations like Taiyuan in Shanxi Province are available for under 300 yuan, inclusive of taxes and fuel surcharges.

This summer also saw the rise of "Chinamaxxing" (extreme China-focused travel), with international visitors choosing to spend their holidays and escape the heat in China. Qunar data reveals that the top 20 inbound travel destinations included Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xiamen, Haikou, Shenyang, Chongqing, Kunming, Fuzhou, Nanjing, Dalian, Harbin, Xi'an, Wuhan, Tianjin, and Urumqi. Tourist numbers to Qionghai surged by over 700%, while Qinhuangdao saw a 500% increase. Meanwhile, visitor counts to Enshi, Luoyang, and Yining doubled compared to last year.

Leading source markets for inbound travel included Malaysia, the United States, Mongolia, Indonesia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Singapore, and Kazakhstan. Notably, Swedish visitors increased more than fourfold year-on-year, while arrivals from Greece and Chile more than doubled.

In terms of pricing, the traditional perception of an expensive summer was challenged this year. Particularly in early-to-mid July, prices were notably lower—nearly 20% below last year’s levels—driven by later school holidays and earlier flight schedule expansions.