There is still half a month left until May Day, and migrant workers have already flooded the tourism industry?

There is still half a month left before the May Day holiday, and the tourism industry is experiencing the busyness before the peak season. They do not feel tired from this busyness, but are looking forward to welcoming the spring of the tourism industry with 200 million people this year. The author interviewed relevant personnel in various fields of the tourism industry to talk about what they are busy with before the peak season, so as to feel the spring of the tourism industry more intuitively. Interested students can read on.

Before the May Day holiday, Zibo, Shandong, became popular for its barbecue. This small northern city, where prices are much lower than those in first-tier cities, has become a new destination for many young people to travel during the May Day holiday. The owners of Zibo's barbecue restaurants and hotels are already waiting for tourists from all over the country.

Not only Zibo, a new tourist destination, but tourist destinations all over the country are waiting for the arrival of the May Day holiday.

As early as March, everyone started preparing for the May Day travel plan. On Qunar, as of April 12, the advance booking volume of May Day air tickets in popular cities in China has exceeded the same period in 2019, and the advance booking volume of May Day hotels in popular cities has increased four times compared with the pre-epidemic period (2019).

According to data from the Ctrip platform, the number of tourists during the May Day holiday is expected to reach 200 million. These 200 million people will flock to popular attractions across the country in five days. On the eve of May Day, Tech Planet interviewed homestay owners, tour guide studio founders, travel agency employees, etc. who are busy on the front line of the tourism market. They have all entered the May Day preparation state, receiving hundreds of consultations every day, and starting work regardless of the time of day.

They are all too familiar with the busy schedule before the peak tourist season. This time, they don’t feel tired at all, but rather excited. Because along with these 200 million people comes the spring of the tourism industry.

1. Enter the busy state in advance and have been on call 24 hours a day for many days

Xinjiang, travel agent

I have worked in a travel agency in Xinjiang for five years. My main job scope is quite broad, including operating online platforms and sales. I also lead tours when I have time, for example, if a customer specifically requests it. The travel agency I work for mainly serves Tibet and Xinjiang, and we provide both traditional bus tours and customized small tours of five or six people.

This year, tourists have been inquiring about Xinjiang travel since mid-to-late March, and the number has increased since early April. I am not in a position to disclose how many inquiries we have received so far, but as soon as the peak season begins, our staff are online 24 hours a day, with no rest time, ready to respond to inquiries at any time.

This year, the bus tours for the May Day holiday tend to be for the elderly, because they like to travel in groups. Young people prefer small groups of five or six people. Our agency's bus tours were basically fully booked in early April. I have also been booked to lead a small group during the May Day holiday. Our orders have been booked until May 10th, and some people will travel during the off-peak period. From May 20th until the summer vacation, we will enter the next peak season.

Compared with previous years, business is definitely better, but it still hasn't reached the level of 2019. There are too many peers in the tourism industry now, and the pie is so small. Xinjiang is so large that most people will choose to join a tour group when they come for the first time, but after coming once, everyone will choose to find a tour guide and driver. Therefore, travel agencies rely on online platforms to attract new customers, and there are few repeat customers.

Compared with other aspects of the tourism industry, the market pricing of tour groups is very transparent. Because of the fierce competition, tourism products in Xinjiang are highly homogenized. They are nothing more than five-day, seven-day, and eight-day tours, and the prices of various companies are in the range of 3,000-5,000 yuan, with a difference of a few dozen yuan at most, or a few hundred yuan if the accommodation is better.

Whether it is the peak season or the off-season, travel agencies should be the link with the lowest gross profit. Drivers and hotels will never lose money. Travel agencies can only rely on volume. Even during the "May Day" period this year, we did not increase prices much, because we could not increase them. Compared with normal times, the increase was about 10%.

2. The tour guides are basically fully booked, so there will definitely not be enough staff for the May Day holiday.

Chengdu, Founder of Guide Studio

We are a tour guide studio that has been operating in Chengdu for ten years. We have 50-80 cooperating tour guides and mainly make private customized travel arrangements for family travelers.

During the May Day holiday this year, many people were inquiring about 5- or 7-day tours in Chengdu city. The surrounding regular scenic spots, such as Mount Emei, Leshan and Jiuzhaigou, had relatively large numbers of visitors.

Our customers are mainly from first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. Since April 6, the number of inquiries per day is about 200-300, and most of them are families of 4-6 people traveling. At present, the daily sales are about 15,000 to 20,000.

According to the bookings in mid-April, our tour guides are basically fully booked, and there will definitely not be enough staff during the "Labor Day" period. According to past experience, the peak period will be from April 20 to 23. For traditional tourists, they are not aware of how high the premium will be during the "Labor Day" period. Experienced tourists will make reservations at least half a month in advance, while inexperienced tourists will basically make reservations a week in advance, and even less experienced tourists will basically make reservations two days in advance.

From April 9 to 14, Chengdu held the National Food and Drinks Fair, and operators and merchants from all over the country came to Chengdu. Before the May Day holiday, Chengdu had already entered a small peak in tourism. The tourism industry sets prices based on real-time supply and demand. Now the price of hotels in Chengdu is about two to three times the usual price, not to mention the May Day holiday, when hotel prices are at least twice the usual price.

At present, the cost of booking a four-star hotel on the travel platform is about 400 yuan, and the price for tourists to book is already between 500 and 600 yuan. In fact, the price increase during the May Day holiday this year is not particularly exaggerated, and it is within the normal fluctuation range of the tourism industry. Before the epidemic, the price increase was basically the same every year.

3. "Rooms on the mountain cost 1,200 yuan a night and were fully booked half a month in advance"

Jiangxi Shangrao, B&B founder

Jiangxi Sanqingshan Azalea Valley Camping Base is my first business venture and has just been open for a month. The base is near the famous Sanqingshan Goddess Statue, with 4 rooms and 70 tents.

Customers started booking at the end of March, and the number of bookings exploded in early April. On April 10, all the rooms for the May Day holiday were fully booked, and nearly 20 tents were booked every night. Now, 5 or 6 tents are booked every day. Many of the tourists who booked are from other provinces, such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. Young people tend to choose to stay overnight.

Although there are not many B&Bs on the mountain, only four or five in total, the price increase is not very large compared to the off-season, about 10%-20%. In fact, the price of tents is quite cheap, usually 200 yuan a night, and the price during the "May Day" period is about 260 yuan. We have a room with a particularly good view, where we can directly see the goddess statue, and the price per night is 1,280 yuan. Other rooms are also more cost-effective, and the price per night for a four-person room with bunk beds is 800 yuan.

It is not the peak period for bookings yet. Many people who come to Jiangxi for tourism visit the surrounding areas and climb Mount Sanqingshan. Everyone will confirm the specific itinerary a week before the May Day holiday, which is when the peak period for bookings will be. According to the current number of inquiries, all tents during the May Day holiday should be fully booked.

The entire base has 6 employees. In the past month of operation, we are still looking for our position and running-in. We not only provide accommodation, but also catering. Even tourists who have not booked accommodation can eat here. Because it is a young business, our catering design is also relatively young. We have tea brewing around the stove, meals for one person, coffee and milk tea.

This year's "May Day" is also the first time I have welcomed the peak tourist season since I entered the industry, and the passenger flow is also relatively large. I have also prepared a plan and found some caring friends and family to help me go up the mountain to carry on this holiday.

4. It is difficult to find a car. It is not recommended to rent a car during the May Day holiday. The cost-effectiveness is not high.

Beijing, car rental company employee

Our platform mainly provides business car and bus charter services in Beijing and Tianjin.

It can be said that it is "hard to get a car" during the May Day holiday this year. People basically started booking cars in March. They went to various places, all in groups, and there were more people in Beidaihe, Hebei and Aranya. People consulted and booked cars for 30 people and cars for more than 10 people.

In the past few years, due to the epidemic, the overall price has been low. Now the market is at its peak, and the prices of the entire market are at a high level. Not only during the "May Day" period, the rental prices in April are much higher than the same period in previous years. During the "May Day" period, the round-trip price for a 15-seat car from downtown Beijing to the suburbs is 3,000 yuan, and the price for a seven-seat business car for the day is also 780 yuan.

The price of a chartered car changes in real time. Car rental companies usually quote based on the customer's car usage, distance, and number of people. Since the number of cars used on weekdays in April is already very high, the current booking price is high. If it is a week before May Day, the price may fall.

Moreover, it is no longer a matter of price. The cars during the May Day holiday are basically fully booked. The company has a lot of business, and customers who come to consult may not be able to make a reservation immediately, and need to check the schedule. If there are less than 10 people traveling and the family has a private car, it is actually not recommended to choose a chartered car for this year's May Day holiday. The cost-effectiveness is not high.

5. Not only May Day, but also April has been fully booked

Yunnan, B&B staff

Our company has been running B&Bs in Yunnan for nearly 10 years, with one in Lijiang, one in Dali Ancient Town, and one by the Erhai Lake. The one by the Erhai Lake was opened in 2019. We are a boutique hotel, and the positioning of the B&Bs is high-end. During the "May Day" holiday, the prices of B&Bs in Dali Ancient Town and Lijiang Ancient Town ranged from 400 to 1,000 yuan per night, and the starting price of a sea view room by the sea was 680 yuan per night. This price is similar to that during the Spring Festival this year.

All orders still come from traditional online platforms. One homestay has 27 rooms, and the other two have about a dozen rooms. On some platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, we began to post a large number of videos to attract new customers. We have been doing this for almost 10 years and have accumulated a lot of repeat customers, and many of our guests are repeat customers. Many tourists who came to Yunnan three years ago came back to play again during the May Day holiday this year. As of April 12, the room reservations for the three homestays during the May Day holiday were about 60%, and the peak of May Day bookings will come in late April.

In fact, this year Yunnan is not only in the peak tourist season during the May Day holiday. During the Spring Festival, Liu Yifei's drama made Yunnan tourism popular. Winter is the peak tourist season in Yunnan. Now in April, every day is already fully booked. Therefore, our employees have been busy all the time. Relatively speaking, they don't think that the May Day period will be special. Now May has been booked up to the 7th and 8th. There are also tourists who have made reservations for mid-May to avoid peak travel.

Surprisingly, during the May Day holiday this year, most of the sea view rooms near Erhai Lake were booked by the elderly, who have strong spending power and know how to enjoy life.

Actually, when working in a B&B, the work content is not divided into very detailed parts. When the peak season comes, you have to do everything. I only need to be responsible for the daily operation of one of the B&Bs. Now half of my time is responsible for weekday reception, and the other half is basically processing the consultation orders for the "May Day".

Author: Xi Rui

Source: WeChat public account: "Tech Planet (ID: tech618)"