Tourists purchase souvenirs at a night market in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, May 10, 2024. (Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang/Xinhua)BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As one of the three longest holidays in China, the upcoming five-day holiday from May 1 to May 5 is expected to see a tourism boom.Data from tourism platform Tongcheng Travel shows that the 2025 May Day holiday is projected to reach a peak travel volume since 2023.By combining paid leave, Chinese travelers can extend their May Day holiday. Booking data from platform Tuniu reveals strong demand for longer trips, showing that 62 percent of travelers opted for three-to-five-day itineraries and nearly 10 percent chose vacations lasting six days or longer.This trend reflects a growing interest in immersive, experiential experiences, particularly in northwest China's popular destinations."Weeklong Silk Road Route and Gansu-Qinghai Loop packages sold out two weeks in advance," said Yang Jiming, deputy manager of Gansu Silk Road International Tours.These tours feature UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the ancient Buddhist murals at Mogao Grottoes, the crimson-hued danxia landforms, and desert activities such as camel riding and camping at Crescent Lake.To accommodate the surge in visitors, some attractions have extended operating hours and enhanced programming. Mingsha Mountain-Crescent Lake Scenic Area in Dunhuang City has introduced a desert stargazing concert and cultural bazaar featuring local performances, handicrafts and northwestern cuisines.Yang is pleased to see the growing popularity of renowned tourism routes revitalizing niche tourism markets in smaller Gansu cities like Longnan, Tianshui and Dingxi.In Longnan City, tourist Zhang Xin and her family from neighboring Shaanxi Province explored a local intangible cultural heritage experience center near the renowned Wanxiang Cave. Once a standalone attraction, the cave is now part of an integrated experience, linked by seamless transport to karst landscapes, alpine meadows and ethnic village homestays."Before, we just visited the cave and leave," Zhang said. "Now we hike through ethnic villages, stargaze at campsites, and shop at artisan markets. The trip feels more immersive and rewarding."This shift from fleeting sightseeing to sustained cultural immersion is an example of reflecting how lesser-known cities are leveraging improved tourism resources to attract visitors away from overcrowded hotspots.Data from Tongcheng Travel reveals surging interest in emerging destinations. Scenic and culturally rich locales like Xinzhou City in north China's Shanxi Province and Pu'er in southwest China's Yunnan Province, have seen year-on-year search volumes rise over 50 percent, signaling a dual-driven tourism market where traditional and emerging destinations thrive together.China's tourism frenzy also injects momentum into the global tourism market.Travel booking platform Fliggy has reported a significant expansion in China's outbound tourism market during this year's May Day holiday period. The data reveals substantial year-on-year growth across all key metrics, including international flight bookings, hotel reservations and ticket sales.The report also shows an evolving trend among Chinese travelers, who are increasingly seeking specialized experiences, such as cultural tours of French museums, marine activities like fishing and snorkeling in Malaysia, and adventure tourism including mountain climbing and hiking in Nepal.China's National Immigration Administration estimated an average of 2.15 million daily border crossings during the five-day May Day holiday, representing a 27 percent increase from last year.Meanwhile, China also introduced a series of policies to enhance the travel experience for foreign visitors, including visa-free policies and payment facilitation. For departure tax refunds, a nationwide shift from a refund-upon-departure mode to a refund-upon-purchase mode enables foreign visitors to claim value-added tax rebates instantly."Such policies have driven a steady rise in long-haul international travelers to China, and our tour agency plans to further cooperate with high-standard hotels and restaurants, and expand English, French and Spanish-language guide services," said Yang.