Data from online travel booking platforms shows that from October 10 to October 31, the average paid price for domestic flights fell by more than 30% compared with the National Day holiday, and tickets on many routes are now cheaper than high-speed rail fares.

A search by reporters found that within the past week, base fares for routes departing from Beijing to Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Lanzhou; from Shanghai to Lijiang and Shenyang; and from Guangzhou to Qingdao and Chengdu were all around 200 yuan to 300 yuan.

Airfares to many popular autumn travel destinations fell sharply. On October 17, the base fare for a Shanghai-to-Ordos flight was 492 yuan, and on October 27, the base fare for a Beijing-to-Altay flight was 570 yuan.

International airfares also showed a clear plunge at the same time. According to a review by CCTV News, low-priced tickets for inbound and outbound routes in many cities across the country have recently been plentiful. In the past week, the lowest fare from Beijing to Seoul was more than 500 yuan, while the lowest fares on routes such as Chengdu to Bangkok and Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur were only more than 300 yuan.

For many destinations that were highly popular during the holiday, the average hotel price has also dropped by about 20% compared with the National Day holiday. According to media tallies, hotel prices in popular tourist cities nationwide have fallen considerably compared with the long National Day holiday, with average declines generally above 30%, and resort hotels and homestays around popular scenic spots seeing relatively larger drops.

Industry insiders remind travelers that post-holiday low-cost air tickets and discounted hotels offer outstanding value for money, but they generally come with relatively strict refund and change rules and baggage allowance limits. Before booking, consumers need to carefully check flight times, refund and change policies, and baggage standards, while also paying attention to weather changes at their destination, so as to avoid travel problems caused by bargain-hunting and to protect their travel experience.