More than halfway through the summer process, domestic cultural tourism consumption has stabilized. According to the forecast of the China Tourism Research Institute, the number of domestic tourists in the summer of 2025 is expected to exceed 2.5 billion, recovering to more than 115% of the 2019 level. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism also opened the 2025 National Summer Cultural and Tourism Consumption Season, holding more than 4,300 cultural and tourism consumption activities of about 39,000 sessions.
Tourists in small cities and tourists in big cities are popular for “two-way travel” and suburban tours, which drive summer catering and accommodation consumption in multiple directions. According to Meituan Travel data, the number of high-star hotel nights in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen increased by 25% in July, the number of high-star hotel nights in new first-tier cities such as Foshan, Hangzhou, and Zhengzhou increased by 40%, and the growth rate of high-star hotel nights in fourth-tier cities such as Baoshan, Dali, and Datong far exceeded that of the first line. Many hotels under Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group have grown significantly.
“Ben County” tourists live in fourth-tier small towns Meituan Travel: The growth rate of room nights in Baoshan, Dali, and Datong high-star hotels exceeds the first line
“Reverse tourism” hides the poems and distances of tourists in big cities. Tourists live in fourth-tier small towns, driving in-depth tourism in the “surrounding 2-hour traffic circle”.
Zhong Yuhong, general manager of Holiday Inn Express Tengchong Hot Spring, said: “Tengchong’s volcanoes, coffee, hot springs, as well as authentic delicacies such as copper gourd beef, steak stewed rice, and roasted pork wrapped in roll powder, have never been seen by tourists in big cities, and these characteristics are quite popular with tourists in Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Shenzhen and other places. Our hotel has also launched a package of ‘accommodation + open-air hot spring + coffee’ in Meituan Travel, and ‘accommodation +’ has driven the night volume of Holiday Inn Express Tengchong Hot Spring to increase by more than 500% year-on-year during the summer. ”
According to Meituan Travel data, the growth rate of Yunnan Dali High-Star Hotel in July was as high as 190%, the search volume of “Dali tie-dyeing” increased by 107% year-on-year, and new species such as “tie-dye theme café” emerged in the local area, and the search volume of “Dali Ancient City Makeup” and “Xizhou Rice Field Train” both increased by more than 500%.
Datong, which “does not blow air conditioners and blows ancient winds”, attracts tourists because of its summer escape + ancient building charm. According to Meituan travel data, the number of nights in Datong high-star hotels increased by 120% year-on-year in July. Tourists take Datong as the center of the circle and check in the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda and Hanging Temple in the “surrounding 2-hour traffic circle”.
From the simple “visit here” to the “in-depth tourism” of multi-format linkage, the supply and demand matching of the accommodation industry has ushered in new ideas. According to Meituan Travel data, in the scenario of long-distance travel, users under the age of 30 account for 44%, and their demand for cultural tourism is more diversified. Young tourists are willing to go further, and the demand for “medium and long-term tours” of more than 300 kilometers has grown by more than 15%, and tourists have rapidly spread to treasure towns and sinking markets.
The popularity of “accommodation +” has increased across the board, and many of Marriott’s hotel catering “sold 5,000 copies a day”
The hotel is not only accommodation, but also an extension of the living space. According to the data, in the past year, the demand for “accommodation + catering” on Meituan has surged by nearly 87%, and the demand for “accommodation + fun” has increased by 99%, and multi-category linkage has become the key to opening up the incremental space of high-star hotels. Meituan members with high consumption frequency and multi-category consumption create more opportunities for hotels to increase revenue and pay for future growth.
Previously, according to Chongqing media reports, many hotels and restaurants in Chongqing Marriott “sold 5,000 copies a day”. Meituan travel data also shows that the summer consumption popularity of “Marriott Chinese Restaurant Man Ho” at JW Marriott Hotel Chongqing increased by 515% year-on-year.
“Go to a five-star hotel and taste the high-end food prepared by the chef” has become a popular choice for travel, and the summer growth rate of catering under Marriott Hotels, which are popular summer tourist destinations, is eye-catching. The boom of the Qingdao Beer Festival has driven the summer popularity of Le Méridien Qingdao R&F’s “New Recipe Seafood Buffet Restaurant” to rise by 414%, and the hotel’s “single buffet dinner” worth 138 yuan sold more than 2,000 copies in Meituan Travel in half a year; The number of nights in high-star hotels in new first-tier cities such as Hangzhou increased by nearly 40%, and the summer popularity of the “all-day dining restaurant on the lake” of the Intercontinental Qiandao Lake Resort Hotel increased by 292% year-on-year, and the hotel’s “single buffet dinner” sold more than 2,000 copies in half a year.
In addition, the summer popularity of the Dragon and Phoenix Hall of Shanghai Peace Hotel, Dongxu Lubata Wine of Beijing Kunlun Hotel, the revolving buffet restaurant of Asia International Hotel Genting Pavilion, and the Haotang High-altitude Buffet Restaurant of Park Hyatt Shenzhen has increased significantly.
Meituan Travel joins hands with 1,000 high-star hotels in 200 cities to leverage the continuous growth of summer consumption through “accommodation + catering”
As the peak of travel throughout the year, summer shows high frequency and high consumption strength. According to the data, since July, the search volume of “hotel accommodation” on the homepage of the Meituan App has increased by 48% year-on-year, the search volume of “air tickets” has increased by 99%, the search volume of “tour group” has increased by 42%, and the search volume of “peripheral tours” has increased by 48%. More young Meituan users started the experience of “the first night of life at a high-star hotel” and “the first meal of a high-star hotel in their lives”.
From single accommodation to unbounded experience, Meituan Travel links the multi-category and multi-scenario advantages of “food, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment” to build a new engine for hotel growth. In order to bring more rich, authentic and affordable high-star hotel delicious dining options to summer tourists, and broaden the new enjoyment of “journey on the tip of the tongue”, from now until the National Day holiday, Meituan Travel launched the “Big Origin Gathering Together” high-star hotel catering online area, covering 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government), nearly 200 cities, and nearly 1,000 high-star hotel specialty catering, covering Chinese food, Western food, buffet, afternoon tea and multiple catering categories, with 40% off.
