Red tourism destinations seeing more footfalls this summer

A growing trend of red tourism has emerged among young tourists or those traveling with their children this summer, as cool weather and high-quality resources at such destinations attract more visitors.

More young Chinese are traveling to pay respects to the founding fathers of New China, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. The popularity of well-known memorial venues and related historical sites has significantly increased over the same period last year.

Hotel bookings at some red tourism destinations such as Jinggangshan in Jiangxi province, Yan'an in Shaanxi province and Shaoshan in Hunan province have been higher this summer compared to the same period last year, according to Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.

In particular, booking volumes for hotels in Jinggangshan have jumped nearly 40 percent year-on-year, higher than the overall growth rate of hotel bookings in Jiangxi, Qunar found.

"Besides being a red tourism destination, Jinggangshan is a city whose air quality is excellent and one that is suitable for travelers to escape the summer heat," said Li Lingyan, a researcher at Qunar.

Meanwhile, the screening of some war-themed films has helped to boost the popularity of red tourism. Dead To Rights, a movie about the Nanjing Massacre, has maintained its dominance at home at the summer box office, grossing over 1.5 billion yuan ($209 million) within just 10 days of its debut on July 25.

Largely driven by the film's success, visits to the Shanghai Film Studios Amusement Park, the core filming location for the movie, have continued to climb. Some immersive activities launched by the park, which allow tourists to experience history through visits to the filming locations, have been well received by many young people.

In July, the internet search volume for the amusement park jumped more than 80 percent over June, according to Tongcheng Travel, a Suzhou, Jiangsu province-based online travel agency.

With new war-themed films such as Dongji Rescue and Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness releasing this month, red tourism is expected to peak further, according to a forecast by Tongcheng Travel.

"Various advanced technologies and interactive sessions can be used to enrich the travel experience of young people and strengthen the historical allure of red scenic spots, allowing young people to have a more immersive experience of historical scenes," said Hu Yizhou, a researcher at LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.

Eyeing the growing travel demand, more direct flights connecting major cities and red tourism destinations have been launched. Earlier this year, Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines launched a new route connecting Shanghai Pudong International Airport with Yan'an. Xiamen Airlines has also launched flights that connect Fuzhou, Fujian province with Yan'an, with a stopover in Changsha, Hunan province.