Shanghai, China - 20 September 2026. Mariusz Bugno / Shutterstock.comFliggy, Alibaba Group's online travel platform, has reported unprecedented hotel booking figures during China's 2026 Golden Week, which combines the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday. Over four consecutive days, the platform saw a record-breaking increase in hotel room nights, with a nearly 70% year-on-year rise in average daily fulfilled room nights. More than 100 cities across China experienced a doubling in hotel room nights, driven by the spending power of Alibaba's 88VIP members, whose average hotel spending per capita was 34% higher than the platform average.
High-end hotels were among the primary beneficiaries, with fulfilled room nights increasing by over 80% year-on-year. Additionally, more than 70 hotel brand flagship stores on Fliggy doubled their room night bookings during the holiday period. New hotel merchants on Fliggy in 2026 saw a 135% increase in average daily fulfilled room nights compared to the Labour Day holiday in May.
The trend towards immersive travel experiences also gained momentum, with bookings for nature and village-related experiences increasing by more than 40% year-on-year. Historic village experiences saw a 90% rise, whilst intangible cultural heritage workshops and cultural experiences more than doubled. Role-playing attractions and factory tours have become popular, with bookings for immersive experiences up by 60%.
Fliggy's AI travel assistant played a significant role in this surge, with interactions increasing by 158% during the holiday period. AI-assisted hotel and flight bookings rose by 110%, and AI-powered service requests, including flight check-ins and booking modifications, grew nearly 100%.
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