China’s ‘joy economy’ drives Golden Week, Mid-Autumn holiday demand

What happened Ctrip’s latest 2025 National Day (October 1) tourism forecast points to a robust uptick in domestic demand. Ahead of China’s Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week, the Chinese travel platform reported interprovincial travel orders climbing 45% year-on-year. Border regions have become holiday hot spots. Zhaotong, a city best-known for its mountainscapes at the meeting point of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, saw bookings soar 95% on the strength of its ethnic culture and natural surroundings. Hezhou, known for its karst formations and historic towns spanning Guangxi, Hunan, and Guangdong, saw an 88% increase. Meanwhile, bookings for Ganzhou, rich in ethnic Hakka traditions and revolutionary heritage, jumped 70%. Long-haul destinations such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia are also rising in popularity, with hotel searches up 60%, fueled by demand from top-tier and fast-rising first-tier cities. The Jing Take Ctrip’s latest findings highlight a paradigm shift in consumer priorities: Travelers are seeking experiences that deliver emotional connection, time efficiency, and cost-effectiveness rather than conventional or social media and clout-based sightseeing. Over this year, analysts have described this momentum as coinciding with China’s growing “joy economy,” in which consumers prioritize leisure experiences that spark creativity, nostalgia, and play. Recent cultural attractions are at the center of this trend: Pop Mart’s Pop Land, featuring hit IPs such as Labubu, and Legoland Shanghai, which opened in July 2025, are drawing younger audiences and families. This dovetails with the rapid rise of emotional consumption. As Jing Daily has reported, within China’s “companionship economy,” connection itself has become a paid service. Tourists are hiring cosplay partners for theme park visits or booking hiking companions (陪爬) for solo treks, with some providers earning over 300,000 RMB ($41,600) annually. These services deliver not just companionship but also added value such as photography, guidance, and personalized support, heightening the overall experience. While emotional consumption is creating new business opportunities across leisure and tourism, it also raises questions about safety, regulation, and ethical boundaries. Still, the learnings are clear: Emotional value has become a central driver in China’s holiday economy. As Golden Week (October 1-8) approaches, travel is no longer simply about destinations, but about meaningful, memorable, and emotionally resonant experiences. Additional research by William Zhou. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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China’s ‘joy economy’ drives Golden Week, Mid-Autumn holiday demand