Chinese travelers are increasingly opting for quieter, experience-driven holidays in county-level destinations, signaling a shift away from crowded urban attractions and injecting new vitality into local economies nationwide. This trend, observed during the recent summer peak, highlights a growing preference for immersive cultural experiences over traditional sightseeing.
Data from the online travel platform Qunar indicates that hotel and homestay bookings covered more than 1,000 county destinations this summer, with stays of three days or longer rising 20 percent compared to the previous year. While well-known spots such as Dali in Yunnan province and Yangshuo in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region remain popular, lesser-known destinations have seen the most significant increases. Bookings more than doubled in Xingyi, Guizhou province, and tripled in Zayul county of the Xizang autonomous region.
According to Wu Liyun, a professor at the China Academy of Culture and Tourism, travelers are increasingly seeking trips that allow for deeper engagement with local culture and everyday life. Rather than visiting standardized attractions, tourists are drawn to counties for their distinctive ecosystems, folklore, intangible cultural heritage, and authentic living environments.
Other emerging destinations such as Zhenfeng in Guizhou, Tian'e in Guangxi, and Wuqiao in Hebei province have experienced booking growth exceeding 150 percent this summer. This expansion suggests that interest is spreading beyond established county hot spots to areas that previously attracted mainly local visitors.
In line with rising visitor numbers, spending by non-local tourists increased by 14.1 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2023, according to data from Meituan. These visitors spent about 58 yuan ($8.05) per transaction, roughly 50 percent more than local consumers.
Chu Zhaobin, deputy director of the Institute of Urban and Rural Economies at the Anhui Academy of Social Sciences, noted that county areas, rich in natural and cultural resources, provide fertile ground for innovative tourism products that meet growing demand for personalized, high-quality travel experiences.
Top source cities for county tourism this summer included Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Consumers born in the 1980s recorded the highest average nightly hotel rates at 526 yuan. Researcher Yang Han from Qunar’s big data institute observed that many families prefer relaxing, safe environments without crowds or rushed schedules, where they can spend quality time together. Premium county accommodations, often set in scenic locations and offering distinctive activities, provide stronger value compared to comparable urban hotels.
Local governments and tourism operators are leveraging this demand by blending natural landscapes with folk customs, agritourism, and cultural heritage. For example, Hui'an county in Fujian province offers visitors opportunities to explore ancient coastal fortifications, learn traditional stone carving, and experience fishing village life. During the first half of the year, the county hosted over 400 cultural, tourism, and sporting events, attracting nearly 2.9 million tourists and generating 2.57 billion yuan in revenue.
Improved transportation and rising self-drive tourism have also facilitated access to less reachable counties. Car rental bookings for county trips rose more than 75 percent year-on-year this summer, according to Tongcheng Travel.
To sustain this momentum, nine central government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, recently introduced guidelines with 18 measures aimed at boosting county-level consumption. These measures include upgrading commercial infrastructure, integrating commerce with agriculture, culture, and sports, and fostering night-time economies and cross-regional travel routes.
Industry experts emphasize that preserving the unique character of counties is essential for long-term success. Ma Yilian, vice-president of the China Tourism Academy, cautioned that standardized attractions and replicas quickly lose appeal as consumers mature. Instead, counties can compete effectively without large-scale resorts or top-tier scenic ratings by focusing on authentic cultural storytelling, maintaining originality, and ensuring reliable public services—elements that help translate social media interest into sustainable economic growth.