After the National Day holiday, airfare and hotel prices have dropped noticeably, and the tourism market has officially entered a window for off-peak travel. The same scenery can be enjoyed at a better price and with a less crowded journey. How much cheaper can off-peak travel be? How do consumer demands differ from traditional holiday periods? How can the culture and tourism market introduce new offerings? And what is the key to making off-peak travel go further?

Data from multiple online travel platforms show that from today through the end of the month, October 10 to 31, the average payment price for air tickets fell by more than 30% compared with the National Day holiday period. In addition, average hotel prices in some popular destinations also dropped by about 20% compared with the National Day holiday. A search by reporters found that within the past week, routes departing from Beijing to Lanzhou, Quanzhou, and Urumqi, from Shanghai to Lijiang and Shenyang, and from Guangzhou to Qingdao and Chengdu all had bare ticket prices around 200 to 300 yuan. In addition, many destinations that were highly popular during the holiday have seen average hotel prices drop by about 20% compared with the National Day holiday.

Shi Ke, a researcher at the Qunar Big Data Research Institute, said that during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, travel demand was very high in areas such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai-Gansu, and western Sichuan. After the holiday, both hotel and air ticket prices fell significantly, improving overall value for money. In places such as Altay in Xinjiang and Shigatse in Tibet, the average price of many mid- to high-end hotels dropped to as low as 300 yuan, while luxury hotels in Garze, Sichuan, still had rooms priced in the low 200s by the end of October. Departing after the holiday avoids crowded passenger flows and allows travel at a more affordable cost, making it a high-quality choice for off-peak trips. In particular, although low-price air tickets and hotel rooms are affordable, they usually come with relatively strict refund and change requirements. Before purchasing, travelers must pay attention to refund and change rules, baggage allowances, flight times, and weather changes at the destination to avoid affecting their travel experience because of chasing a bargain.

In Zhangjiajie, Hunan, the mountains and waters are picturesque and the travel experience is excellent. As off-peak travel enters its best window, many tourists are fully enjoying the relaxed pleasure of slow travel. At the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon scenic area, tour groups and self-guided family visitors from various places keep arriving. Tourists overlook the deep canyon from the glass bridge, experience the thrill of walking in the air, and take photos to capture beautiful moments. Inside the canyon, streams murmur and trees are lush. Many tourists board boats and drift on the green water, immersing themselves in the original canyon scenery. A tourist from Shanghai, Mr. He, said there were very few people, which changed the mood, and the weather during this trip was especially clear and sunny, making it very good. A German tourist, Sabine, said they liked the place very much and had never seen such scenery before. On Qixing Mountain at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters, visibility is clear, with layered green mountains and unfolding peaks. With the holiday crowds gone, visitor flow in the scenic area is stable and orderly, and the quiet and comfortable touring environment allows off-peak travelers to fully enjoy the beauty of autumn landscapes. A tourist from Hubei, Ms. Zhang, said the overall experience was better because there were fewer people than during the holiday, shorter queuing times, and no long waits for photos, making the trip better.

In Gannan, Gansu, the local livestock industry is turning modern factories into industrial tourism attractions, where visitors can learn about the entire processing flow of yak milk. At the same time, culture and tourism departments in many parts of Gannan are linking ancient towns, scenic areas, and villages along the route and launching one-stop combination products of train tickets, admission tickets, and accommodation, so that a single trip can include experiences in multiple settings and further activate the vitality of the post-holiday culture and tourism market.

In Yingshang, Anhui, tourism demand remains strong, and senior travelers have become the main force in off-peak travel. In Yingshang County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, local tourism remained brisk after the National Day holiday, and senior tourism accounted for a very high proportion of off-peak visitors. At the Youjia Garden scenic area in Yingshang County, many tourists arrived early in the morning. After entering, they began touring along different routes, enjoying the garden scenery and watching performances. Wang Ruirui, head of the scenic area, said that since the National Day holiday, more than ten tour groups have arrived almost every day, and senior tourism now accounts for 80% to 85% of the entire scenic area. To better serve senior customers, rest areas have been set up about every 300 meters in the park so older people can take a break. At the same time, gentle walking paths and shaded corridors reduce the physical exertion of long visits, and these thoughtful measures have won much praise. Tourist Gao Hongxia said that avoiding the National Day period felt really good, as it was quiet and sanitation was well maintained, and when tired, visitors could rest over there. Tourist Ji Bingliang said the place met the needs of older people going out to travel, and the tea tasted quite good. It is understood that after the National Day holiday, the scenic area received about 2,000 visitors per day on average, with single-day visitor flow basically the same as during the holiday. Off-peak travel demand remains strong, and it also gives tourists a more comfortable touring experience. In recent years, Yingshang County has promoted all-for-one tourism, linking sites such as Bali River and Mingqing Garden into a chain, and launching special routes such as slow travel for seniors and customized study tours to meet the travel needs of different groups.

In Jianshui, Yunnan, visitors slow down and quietly enjoy leisurely autumn days in the ancient city. In Jianshui County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, the autumn sun is warm and a gentle breeze blows. Compared with the bustle of the holiday, the ancient city is now quieter and more soothing. Many tourists choose off-peak travel to enjoy an autumn leisure trip. Xianghuiqiao Station is a popular check-in spot in Jianshui County, and many tourists come by meter-gauge train. Right now, sage flowers on both sides of the tracks are blooming freely, with lush plants and stretching purple waves that contrast beautifully with the retro platform and train. Tourists take photos in the sea of flowers. Off-peak travel means tourists do not need to queue or crowd, and can slow down to carefully savor the history and architecture here. Tourist Ms. Zhang said there were more people during the National Day period, but fewer in recent days, so the travel experience was stronger, and children also found riding the small train very novel. Similarly, Shuanglong Bridge in Xizhuang Town has lost the noise of the holiday. On the open and quiet bridge and along the riverbank, tourists stroll leisurely in twos and threes, leaning on the railing to look into the distance or taking photos to capture the beautiful scene of the ancient bridge and autumn waters.

In Inner Mongolia, the Hu Yang special train has extended its operation, making off-peak travel save both time and money. Now is the best viewing period for the Ejina poplar forest, and many out-of-town tourists make special trips here to see the poplars. The Hu Yang special train, which in previous years ran daily only during the National Day holiday, has also extended its operation this year, offering tourists an economical and affordable travel option. The Hu Yang special train departs from Hohhot Station at 16:53 every day and arrives at Ejina Station early the next morning. The overnight departure and morning arrival model allows many tourists to enjoy both convenience and savings. Tourist Mr. Zhou said that he took the train from Hohhot to Ejina today, would arrive at 8 a.m. the next morning, could spend a whole day in Ejina, and could take the same train back that day, which was equivalent to saving him two days of accommodation costs, about more than 1,000 yuan. As more tourists like Mr. Zhou appear, the railway department has also adjusted the train operation plan, extending the Hu Yang special train, which in previous years ran daily only during the National Day holiday, to October 16. Yin Fulong, train conductor of K7911 on the Baotou Passenger Transport Section of China Railway Hohhot Bureau, said they not only increased train frequency, but also expanded the original 13-car formation to 18 cars, raising single-trip passenger capacity by 40%. During the interview, reporters met a tour group from Zhangjiakou. More than 20 tourists were all retired elderly people, and they had specifically chosen to take the special train during the off-peak period to Ejina. Tourist Ms. Zhang said everyone else had gone back to work, so it was a good time for them to come out, and there were not too many people. During the earlier two days, there were too many people, and they could not even find accommodation or make bookings. To better receive tourists, Ejina Station has also opened a green channel for the Hu Yang Festival, giving priority services in ticket purchase, ticket inspection, and boarding to key passengers such as senior citizens and children. Ni Jun, deputy stationmaster of Ejina Station of China Railway Hohhot Bureau, said that during the peak tourism period of the Ejina Hu Yang Festival, Ejina Station receives and dispatches 4 to 5 tourist special trains every day, and passenger volume is 8 to 10 times the usual level.

How do consumer demands differ for off-peak travel? Compared with traditional holidays, how do consumer demands for off-peak travel differ? Let us listen to the analysis of Ma Yiliang, vice president of the China Tourism Academy. Ma Yiliang said that in recent years there have indeed been many off-peak travelers after holidays. Many people feel that traveling during holidays is too crowded and choose to travel after the holiday instead. The demand for off-peak travel first includes a relatively high requirement for value for money. This includes two kinds of people: one is more sensitive to price, and the other is more rational in consumption and less inclined to follow the crowd. Their principle is that they can buy expensive things, but they cannot buy them at an inflated price. The second characteristic is that they also have relatively high requirements for comfort. They can use time in exchange for space, meaning that although they move their schedule later, what they gain is greater and fuller travel space, so this suits groups with more freedom in how they allocate their time, such as senior citizens and freelancers.

What is the key to making off-peak travel go further? With eased passenger flows and lower travel costs, many tourists choose to travel after the National Day holiday and fully enjoy the relaxed pleasure of slow travel. As off-peak travel heats up, the long-tail effect of traditional holidays is also gradually emerging. So what is the key to making off-peak travel go further? Ma Yiliang said that to develop the off-peak travel market better, there are two aspects. The first is to make paid leave more widespread, especially as many places are now beginning to give students spring and autumn breaks. If parents can also have more flexible supporting vacation policies, it will be easier for them to take their children out traveling together. The second aspect may be that supply still needs to moderately lead demand and cannot retreat faster than demand. We are pleased to see that in some places, especially where the best viewing window for scenery does not overlap with holidays, this is happening. For example, in spring we go to Wuyuan to see rapeseed flowers, after the National Day holiday we go to Changbai Mountain to see red leaves, and we go to Xinjiang or western Inner Mongolia to see poplars. These places are indeed extending the operation time of tourism trains to continue quality service for specific groups, which is a very good phenomenon. More and more industry operators have discovered the business opportunities of off-peak travel, the stability of tourism supply and services is improving significantly, and this market is worth anticipating.