The National Museum of China offers coffee inspired by a phoenix coronet, a popular piece from its collection. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The recent eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday unleashed robust travel demand, driving growth across the sector, according to the latest report by Meituan Travel.

Demand for high-quality, niche, and in-depth tours has become a core market driver, as travelers are shifting from traditional sightseeing to deeper exploration.

During the holiday, the average per capita tourism spending rose 16.8 percent year-on-year, according to Meituan Travel. Train ticket orders grew over 10 percent year-on-year, and flight bookings surged more than 40 percent.

Top five provincial regions for cultural and tourism consumption were Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Henan. Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Beijing, and Chongqing ranked among the top 10 destination cities. Meituan Travel's data showed 58.3 percent of users preferred booking travel products on the same day.

Seasonal themes, cultural activities, and outdoor exploration have emerged as key drivers in China's tourism market during the holiday.

Searches for seasonal activities such as "enjoying the autumn scenery", "admiring flowers" and "appreciating the moon" surged over 180 percent year-on-year.

Cultural activities, including hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) dress-ups and tea ceremony experiences saw rapid order growth. In Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, for instance, searches for "pottery workshop" rose 144.6 percent year-on-year.

Bookings for nature-focused activities such as hiking, camping, and stargazing increased significantly, with related searches up more than 70 percent month-on-month.

Meituan Travel's data showed that night tourism became a highlight, with "night tour" searches surging 386.5 percent year-on-year.

Also, more travelers visited cities specifically for local cuisine. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Hangzhou topped the list of the best cities for food. Seasonal delicacies such as crab dishes, osmanthus desserts, and mooncakes recorded search increases of over 110 percent month-on-month, with cities like Suzhou and Nanjing in Jiangsu province seeing notable hotel booking growth driven by foodies.