The concept of county town travel this summer has shed its budget-friendly label. Data from Qunar Travel indicates that several county-level destinations now rival first-tier cities in revenue generation. Parents from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are flocking to these towns with their children, but their focus is on immersive living rather than tourist checkpoints — they shop at local markets, pick tea leaves, interact with animals up close, and learn to cook regional dishes.
According to Qunar Travel data, hotel and homestay bookings this summer spanned over a thousand county towns nationwide, with a 20% year-on-year increase in visitors staying for three or more consecutive nights. The top 10 most popular county destinations included Dali in Yunnan, Xingyi in Guizhou, Yining in Xinjiang, Jinghong in Yunnan, Shangri-La in Yunnan, Dunhuang in Gansu, Kashgar in Xinjiang, Pingtan in Fujian, Yangshuo in Guangxi, and Yanji in Jilin.
County towns are experiencing what industry observers call a summer consumption upgrade, with the post-80s generation emerging as the biggest spenders. High-quality accommodation is especially in demand. Qunar data reveals that bookings for four-star and above hotels in county towns grew by double digits year-on-year, with upscale hotels accounting for 23% of all county hotel bookings this summer. This means roughly one in every five county hotel reservations was for a premium property.
Scarce, high-end county hotels became fiercely competitive this summer. Notably, advance booking lead times for county hotels stretched from an average of 5.9 days to 7.1 days, even as flight and hotel reservations overall become increasingly last-minute. Some county towns are now outperforming first-tier cities in spending power. For instance, Fusong in Jilin, home to Changbai Mountain, boasts fewer than a tenth of the hotel inventory found in major metropolises, yet its average summer hotel rate reached 679 yuan, surpassing rates in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
County towns surrounding Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Greater Bay Area are also showing formidable revenue capacity. Changli in Hebei, near Beijing, leveraged its coastal appeal and the mature Aranya resort community to achieve an average summer hotel rate of 835 yuan. Anji and Deqing in Zhejiang attracted visitors from Shanghai and Hangzhou with resilient hotel and homestay pricing. Fogang, near Guangzhou, became a top destination for Greater Bay Area families seeking water activities and summer escapes, with an average summer hotel rate of 870 yuan.
Travelers from first-tier and new first-tier cities dominated county town tourism this summer. The top 10 source cities for county hotel bookings were Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Kunming, and Wuhan. So why are today's parents more willing to spend on county towns? Yang Han, a researcher at the Qunar Travel Big Data Research Institute, attributes this to a shift in travel philosophy. More families now prioritize relaxed, safe, and uncrowded destinations where they can truly unwind and engage in meaningful parent-child conversations. Additionally, high-quality county accommodation offers better value for money — the rarity of staying directly within scenic settings, combined with unique local experiences and services, makes these trips feel worthwhile to urban consumers.
While no single county town exploded in popularity this summer, several emerged as dark horses. Chayu County in Tibet saw summer hotel bookings more than double year-on-year. Jiali in Tibet, Qianshan in Jiangxi, Zhenfeng in Guizhou, Tian'e in Guangxi, and Wuqiao in Hebei each recorded a 1.5-fold increase in hotel orders. Huixian in Henan, Xingyi in Guizhou, Zhaojue in Sichuan, and Cengong in Guizhou also grew by over 100%.
The Qunar Travel Big Data Research Institute notes that improved infrastructure and enhanced transport networks have driven a clear decentralization trend in county town tourism. Each of these hidden gems offers a distinct character. Folk customs tours, intangible cultural heritage experiences, ancient architecture visits, cycling, hiking, and study trips are all flourishing in county settings, positioning these towns as vital new stages for consumer experiences. Qunar data shows search interest in popular county destinations surged this summer, with related "hidden treasure city" product searches jumping 226% year-on-year.