China logs record high inter-regional passenger trips in May

This photo taken on May 5, 2026 shows passengers at the platform of Nanjing Railway Station in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China saw a record high number of inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday.

The country recorded around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the holiday that ended on Tuesday, a 3.49-percent increase compared with the same period last year.

Road travel remained the dominant mode of transportation, with 1.39 billion trips recorded, up 3.51 percent year on year.

Railway passenger trips rose 4.6 percent to 106.38 million, while waterway passenger trips dipped 1.37 percent to 8.49 million. Civil aviation handled 10.54 million trips during this period, down 5.74 percent year on year.

China's May Day holiday travel boom is driven by strong demand for tourism, family visits and leisure activities. 

A drone photo taken on May 1, 2026 shows the traffic flow on the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Yang Suping/Xinhua)

Passengers wait for their trains at Guiyang North Railway Station in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 5, 2026. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Zhang Wei/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 1, 2026 shows bullet trains waiting for departure at a train depot in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua)

A drone photo taken on May 1, 2026 shows a ro-ro passenger ship departing Yantai Port in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)

A drone photo taken on May 1, 2026 shows a view of the east square of the Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua)

Passengers check in at Jiaxing South Railway Station in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, May 5, 2026. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Jin Peng/Xinhua)

A bullet train runs in the urban area of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, May 1, 2026. China logged around 1.52 billion inter-regional passenger trips during the just-concluded five-day May Day holiday, a 3.49 percent increase over the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. (Photo by Zheng Yi/Xinhua)