TONGCHENGTRAVEL releases 2026 graduation season travel report: The search popularity for graduation trips increased by 300% compared to the previous period, and orders from users aged 16-20 increased by 35% compared to the previous period.

With the conclusion of the college entrance examination, the graduation travel season of 2026 officially welcomed the first peak in early June. On June 10th, TONGCHENGTRAVEL released the "2026 Graduation Travel Report", providing in-depth insights into the travel consumption trends of high school graduates and their peers. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that as of June 10th, the search heat for the keyword "graduation trip" increased by over 300% compared to the previous month, and the number of travel product orders from 16-20 year old users increased by 35% compared to the previous month. When choosing a travel destination, in addition to traditional factors such as natural scenery and cultural history, unique food experiences, entertainment performances, and e-sports events are among the top concerns for graduates. This reflects that the travel decision-making of Generation Z is shifting from "seeing the world" to "pleasing oneself", with experiences and interests replacing traditional sightseeing as the new engine driving graduation trips. A "self-pleasure travel" tailored for Generation Z is in full swing. The radius of graduation trips is expanding, with inter-provincial travel becoming a trend From "taking a stroll around the neighborhood" to "going to faraway places," the radius of graduation trips is being redefined. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that the travel radius of this batch of graduates has further expanded, with over 70% traveling across provinces, and the average travel distance per person increasing by nearly 10% compared to the same period last year. The top 10 popular domestic long-distance travel destinations for graduates this season are: Chengdu, Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Dali, Nanjing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Qingdao, and Changsha. For graduates, these cities are not only rich in cultural and tourism resources but also continue to dominate social media, becoming the unspoken youth destinations for graduates. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that in the week after June 10th, the number of flights booked to Chongqing by users aged 16-20 increased by 26% compared to the previous week, and the number of flights booked to Dali by users aged 16-20 increased by 21% compared to the previous week. The percentage of users aged 16-20 in the flight bookings for other destinations on the list also increased. From "special forces" to "relaxation," the travel style of this batch of graduates presents a trend of coexistence of two extremes. Some graduates continue the trend of "special forces-style tourism," choosing to visit 2-3 cities in 3 days to gain the richest experience in the shortest amount of time, with high-speed rail becoming the core transportation for such itineraries. However, an increasing number of graduates are opting for a "slower" travel pace, staying an average of more than 4 days in cities like Dali, Qingdao, and Hangzhou, choosing a beach or ancient town for a "lying-down" style vacation to conclude their youth. At the same time, "booking while traveling" is becoming mainstream. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that during the graduation season, the number of bookings for flights or hotels within 3 days of the trip increased by 8% compared to the same period last year, and the number of bookings for flexible refundable products with "free cancellation" labels increased by over 10% year-on-year. Graduates tend to keep their travel plans flexible, making their graduation trips more flexible and unlimited. In order to create beautiful summer memories for graduates, TONGCHENGTRAVEL, in collaboration with cultural and tourism departments from Shandong, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and other regions, is offering exclusive benefits to graduates, such as the "Hospitality Shandong Youth Tour" promotional event in the Yangtze River Delta, the "Global Student Mobile Tour" themed event, and the "Exploring the Origins of China, Youth Adventures in Baoji" themed event, adding more excitement to this season's graduates' youth journey. Additionally, TONGCHENGTRAVEL has launched a graduation season flight promotion, covering group coupons, flight passes, exclusive student benefits, and flight mystery boxes, as well as integrating taxi, rental car, airport transfer, and other transportation resources to cover the "last mile" from the airport to the hotel, making the entire journey worry-free and cost-effective, accompanying every graduate on an easy departure. Graduation travel on the tip of the tongue, "culinary travel" leading the new trend of travel "To visit a city for a dish of food," the travel map of the 2026 graduates is being redrawn by taste buds. The top 10 popular food destinations for the 2026 graduation season are Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Changsha, Wuhan, Shantou, Liuzhou, Yanji, Guangzhou, and Xiamen. The hot pot in Sichuan and Chongqing, the hand-pulled noodles in Xi'an, the fresh-salted seafood in Chaoshan, and the snail noodles in Liuzhou outline the most attractive "food pilgrimage route" in the minds of this batch of graduates. Food IP is driving the full-chain tourism consumption in related cities. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that as of June 10th, the overall search heat for the top 10 food destinations has increased by over 40% compared to the previous week. Popular food gathering places such as Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu, Hongya Cave in Chongqing, Taiping Old Street in Changsha, and Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street in Wuhan have strong appeal, and from booking data, the booking heat for hotels and homestays within 3 kilometers of these venues increased by over 20% in the week after June 10th, with homestays and e-sports hotels being the most popular among young people. Meanwhile, the trend of "visiting exhibitions + food" is also on the rise, with the search heat for food culture venues such as the Sichuan Cuisine Museum in Chengdu and the Zongzi Culture Museum in Jiaxing significantly increasing, becoming emerging cultural and tourism destinations for young tourists to check off their lists. It is worth noting that, beyond the traditional popular food destinations, cities like Shantou, Liuzhou, and Yanji have successfully stepped out with their distinctive local flavors, becoming dark horses in the food destination race. Taking Liuzhou as an example, TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that as of June 10th, the search heat for Chengyang Bazhai scenic area increased by 57% compared to the previous week, and the search heat for attractions such as Luozhai Xiangqiao Karst National Geological Park and Xianren Mountain scenic area increased by over 40% compared to the previous week. Many graduates are not only enjoying the local noodles but also upgrading their taste buds to explore in-depth national cultures and natural ecologies while indulging in culinary delights. The search heat for attractions such as Ma'er Mountain Forest Park in Yanji, Nan'ao Island and the former residence of Chen Cihong in Shantou has also increased, with food becoming the "new engine" driving cultural and tourism consumption in these cities. To further meet the diverse travel needs of graduates and their parents, TONGCHENGTRAVEL's 2026 graduation season holiday theme event "Close the Books, Open the World" has been fully launched. The event covers four major scenarios of family travel, student group travel, solo travel, and quality vacations, with self-operated boutique small group tours in popular destinations like the food series, cultural pilgrimage, blessing and wish fulfillment, amusement parks, as well as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, all available on the platform. Pursuing interests, performances and e-sports become the "new engine" of graduation travel In the 2026 graduation season, the travel of young people is shifting from traditional "sightseeing and checking off" to "interest-oriented." Large-scale performances and e-sports events, as two core attractions, effectively drive the growth of accommodation, dining, and related consumption in destinations. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, Beijing, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, Xi'an, and Wuhan have become the top 10 popular destinations for performances and esports events. During the graduation season, dozens of large-scale concerts and performances are held in major cities and popular tourist cities across the country, with thousands of regular performances. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that as of June 10th, the search heat for "concerts" and "music festivals" on the platform during the graduation season increased by 18% compared to the previous month. From booking data, in the month after June 10th, the number of flights booked to popular performance venues by users aged 16-20 increased by over 25% compared to the previous month, and the booking heat for hotels and homestays within 3 kilometers of concert venues such as the Bird's Nest in Beijing, East Lake Sport Park in Chengdu, Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, and Guangdong Olympic Sports Center increased by over 11% from the previous month. Graduates tend to "visit attractions during the day and go to performances at night," perfectly integrating performance viewing with travel. E-sports competitions have also become an important driver of cross-city travel during graduation season. Top e-sports events such as the League of Legends professional league and the King of Glory professional league are being held in cities like Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hangzhou, attracting a large number of graduates to travel between cities to watch the competitions. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data shows that in the month after June 10th, the number of flights booked to Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hangzhou by users aged 16-20 increased by over 27% compared to the previous month. These "watching games while traveling" tourists usually stay for 2-3 days, with bookings for e-sports hotels peaking on weekends when matches are held, and some popular venues' e-sports hotels selling out a week in advance. In addition to the matches, graduates also deeply explore the local anime districts, trendy shops, and unique dining experiences, extending the consumption chain and enhancing the comprehensive value of each trip. While domestic travel continues to rise in popularity, outbound travel has also become an increasingly popular choice for many graduates. With countries like Brazil and Turkey joining the visa-free list, there are now over 80 countries that grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens, providing more choices for graduates' "first international flight." Destinations like Thailand, Singapore, and Turkey have become popular choices for graduates going abroad. The research institute of TONGCHENGTRAVEL pointed out that the 2026 graduation season shows a distinct feature of "interest-driven" travel, where Generation Z is no longer satisfied with traditional sightseeing visits but instead sees travel as an important way of self-expression and emotional release. Whether it's for a dish of food, a performance, or a trip with friends, self-pleasure has become the core logic behind this batch of graduates' destination choices.