Seaside cities popular with this year's gaokao sitters

A tourist experience riding a horse by the sea in Wuzhizhou Island, Sanya. [Photo/Hainan Daily]

Seaside cities are becoming popular for senior high school graduates, with Haikou and Sanya in South China's Hainan province making a list of top destinations, according to Beijing-based online travel service provider Qunar.

With the 2023 national college entrance examination, also known as the gaokao, coming to an end on June 10, many students chose to bid farewell to their high school years with a memorable graduation trip.

Since the exam ended, the search volume of the keywords "graduation trip" and "graduation group tour" have risen sharply, ranking in the top 5 hot search terms on the Qunar platform. From June 9 to 12, the number of airplane ticket bookings for people aged 17 to 19 on Qunar tripled compared with the previous week.

The current bookings for Hainan province in June have exceeded the usual volume for the whole month, largely thanks to graduation trips, which often take five to seven days, said Yu Junyi, manager of the domestic customer service department of Hainan Kangtai Travel Co.

Jiang Xingyou, a travel planner in Hainan, has been busy dealing with consulting for travel routes after the gaokao. "We have come up with a series of preferential travel products for gaokao finishers, hoping to contribute to their unforgettable memories," he said.

Many scenic spots in Hainan have announced that senior high school graduates can visit them for free or at a discount.

A recent questionnaire conducted by the Sanya Tourism Board for the ongoing graduation season and summer vacation market, shows that young tourists prefer to explore new routes and possibilities at their destinations, and they are more interested in camping, music festivals, and cultural and art exhibitions.

The Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone in Sanya has launched an activity that offers free tickets to gaokao attendees. As the third Sanya Nanshan Intangible Heritage Festival was held from June 10 to 18 in the zone, visitors could also learn about Chinese intangible cultural heritage items, the country's protection achievements, and cultural and folk exchanges between Nepal and China, said Chen Wenwu from the zone.

Sanya's Wuzhizhou Island has introduced a preferential travel package for gaokao attendees. They can experience coral reef diving at a discount with their gaokao admission cards or university admission letters.

Li Pengfei, 17, who just took the gaokao, plans to explore many places across the country, including Sanya. "Well known for its beautiful beaches, blue sky, clear water and fine white sand, Sanya is a perfect place for this special, long vacation. I will try many water sports like surfing, rafting, motor boating and diving there," he said.