Remote work boosts off-peak domestic travel

Dropping temperatures in a large part of North China have led to more people traveling south for warmer weather. Besides seniors, more young consumers have also opted to travel south during the off-peak season and are visiting more niche destinations this winter.

Compared to last year, airfares and hotel prices are relatively cheaper, driving more people to take trips. This winter, the number of bookings for hotels in southern China with stays of more than one month in length has doubled year-on-year, according to Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.

More young people are taking advantage of flexible remote working options to experience something new and travel. Between November and January, the number of domestic hotel bookings with stays of over a month grew the fastest among travelers aged between 25 and 30, and the figure jumped 2.5-fold compared to the pre-pandemic level of 2019.

Zhu Xiaoqing, an office employee in Beijing, said her company allows staff members to take two months for flexible remote work. She recently booked a serviced apartment in Lingshui, in the tropical island of Hainan province, and she plans to stay there for a month this winter.

"Elderly people who live in northern regions like to go to warmer places for winter every year, and then return to the north after the weather warms up," said Cai Muzi, a Qunar researcher. "In the past few years, the work and lifestyles of many have changed, and flexible working has become a popular choice for young people. Some companies also offer employees more flexibility."

She added that at an age between 25 and 30, many people have been working for a few years, are economically well off and don't have children to take care of yet. Being able to work in warmer places and getting away from harsh winter weather could significantly enhance one's sense of happiness.

Besides traditional winter vacation destinations such as Sanya and Haikou in Hainan, young people have been willing to explore small towns and counties with fewer people, beautiful sceneries, suitable temperatures and higher cost-effectiveness.

Counties in the south such as Yunnan province, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Fujian province and Hainan are more popular, with bookings for long-term hotel stays of more than one month increasing threefold year-on-year, Qunar found.

Despite the rapidly growing number of young flexible remote workers heading to warmer climes, elderly travelers still constitute the majority of off-peak travelers. After the National Day holiday break, the proportion of seniors who traveled has been increasing.

In the first week after the weeklong break, when prices of flights and hotels declined, elderly travelers began to embark on their trips. Bookings of travel products made by consumers aged 50 and above in that week nearly tripled over the number made during the holiday, according to Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency.