On May 5, reporters learned from the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism that during the May Day holiday period (May 1–May 5), the province centered activities around the theme “Tour Jianghuai in Spring, Enjoy the May Day Holiday,” carefully rolling out a variety of featured tourism products—leisure and wellness getaways, “treasure” small towns, ancient‑trail spring outings, road trip & gourmet tours, and exhibition and theater experiences—attracting visitors from all over to immerse themselves in the picturesque spring scenery of Anhui. Provincial A‑level scenic spots received 17.8896 million tourist visits, up 4.83% year‑on‑year. Among them, 5A scenic spots received 2.203 million visits, up 5.6% year‑on‑year.

Leisure, resort, and wellness travel proved extremely popular. The Southern Anhui International Cultural Tourism Demonstration Zone offered more refined services and trendier experiences. The poetic spring scenery and diverse onsite activities at the Huangshan Scenic Area complemented each other, receiving 157,000 visitors, a 6.7% increase year‑on‑year. Tongling’s Yongquan Town hosted nostalgic parades and gourmet tasting events, drawing 171,000 visitors to enjoy carefree vacations. Huangshan City, Hongcun, and Huizhou villages were respectively selected by the Ctrip Research Institute among the top 10 domestic historical and cultural destinations, popular scenic spots, and high-couture aesthetic destinations for the May Day period.

Improved major transportation links and differentiated product experiences have made short intercity mini‑vacations a new lifestyle. In the 13 days since the Nanjing-Ma'anshan intercity line opened (April 22–May 4), it attracted 1.3435 million visits. Ma’anshan offered warm‑hearted measures during the holiday—free admission to paid A‑level scenic spots, free bus rides, and free parking—drawing large numbers of out‑of‑province visitors to tour the “poetry city.”

“Treasure” small towns experienced heavy foot traffic. The towns’ local charm and relaxed atmosphere made them popular check‑in and spending choices. Guangde ranked among Tongcheng’s national top‑10 “treasure small towns” for travel heat, and the city’s “Guangde trio” attractions drew 950,000 visits. Qingyang County seized the pet‑economy trend by opening the province’s first pet wellness pavilion at an A‑level tourist site and launching 45 pet‑owner interactive spaces, boosting holiday pet‑friendly consumption. “Beautiful Anhui treasure small towns” have become a strong engine for county‑level consumption: the 200 monitored rural tourism key villages across the province received 2.832 million visitors and generated 150 million yuan in tourism revenue, increases of 6.4% and 5% year‑on‑year, respectively.

Experience-oriented & emotional consumption led lifestyle trends. From Huaibei to Jiangnan, localities created new lifestyle‑aesthetic scenes such as themed cafés, suburban camping, and cultural‑museum venues. The province’s 252 museums received 1.68 million visitors, up 18.7% year‑on‑year. Xuancheng launched the Xuanzhou “village café map,” cataloging seven themed village cafés—tea hills, lakeside, forests, etc.—and received over 20,000 visitors. Mingguang City developed a 15‑minute low‑altitude sightseeing route, allowing visitors to unlock aerial views that showcase pastoral mountain and water landscapes.

Road trip travelers and backpackers flocked to tourist scenic byways and ancient trails for deep experiences. The Southern Anhui “Sichuan‑Tibet” Route saw heavy traffic, evolving from a niche secret spot into a phenomenon‑level check‑in destination. The Huai River cultural‑tourism grand loop sparked a boom in road trips, with core attractions along the route—such as Huangcangyu National Forest Park and the West Mountain flower sea—together receiving 221,000 visitors. Many hiking enthusiasts strolled the Huihang Ancient Trail, encountering themed NPC amid the trail’s landscapes and experiencing intangible cultural heritage activities like the Banlong dragon dance performances.

Cross‑sector integration of performance arts and technology drove hot cultural‑tourism consumption. The Hefei Huluguo Music Festival drew 80,000 attendees, generated 37 million yuan in box office revenue, and stimulated 250 million yuan in spending. Bengbu’s Gaixia Scenic Area staged the China-Chic Concert “Return of the Armies to Their Hometowns: Gaixia in the Chu–Han Tale,” paired with interactive events like a sea‑of‑lights chorus, attracting 67,000 visitors—a 34.4% year‑on‑year increase. Anqing Ancient City hosted a youth theater festival that blended Huangmei opera with contemporary drama, drawing 519,000 visitors to experience the cultural depth of this “city of opera.”

Ticket and receipt-driven consumption bolstered overall consumption. During the holiday, local governments partnered with platform companies and financial institutions to carry out “reduction and exemption” actions for tourist sites, launching tourism‑and‑culture consumption discounts, instant rebates, and coupon bundles—issuing more than 300 cultural‑tourism benefit policies in total. Wuhu offered exclusive discounts at over 100 supermarkets, B&Bs, and attractions to residents and visitors holding Anhui Youth Football League (Huiqing Cup) competition tickets. Huangshan City kicked off the fourth phase of its “Huangshan Welcomes Guests: Invoice Prize” campaign; as of May 4, 279,000 participating invoices involving a total amount of 81 million yuan had been submitted, with 4.6513 million yuan in prize and subsidy funds disbursed.

Source: Anhui Daily