BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- With the annual summer travel rush underway in China, the tourism industry is anticipating an even more robust market, buoyed by optimistic projections for continued growth in family travel.

According to a report on the 2025 summer travel trend released by online travel agency LY.com in June, family travel remains the main driver of summer transportation this year.

The report expected that passengers traveling with minors would account for 34.7 percent of domestic civil aviation travelers and approximately 23 percent on international routes during this year's summer travel season, from July to August, both higher than the same period in 2024.

It also estimated that around 6 million people are expected to take a flight for the first time during the summer travel season this year.

Beijing-based travel agency Utour had already seen a 70 percent year-on-year growth in the number of its summer travel customers as of mid-June. Family travel is projected to account for more than 60 percent of its summer bookings.

"Our view is that this summer could become the most vibrant tourism season in recent years," said Li Mengran, media and public relations manager of Utour.

According to information released by the agency, there is a significant rise in customer queries for educational trips, study tours, and family-themed products. In that regard, the agency has introduced a 12-day summer travel package, featuring a family tour to Britain. The package includes visits to several top British universities, guided tours of the British Museum, and immersive Harry Potter-themed experiences, including visits to iconic filming locations.

Tourism industry insiders believe that as more people born in the 1980s and 1990s become parents, they increasingly seek experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing and are more willing to spend on emotionally enriching travel.

In May, China's leading e-commerce platform, Meituan, and the China Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (CAAPA) jointly released a report on the development of family vacations in 2025, noting that family vacations have become a new form of investment in modern family consumption.

Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, explained that rather than focusing solely on buying physical goods for their children, the new generation of parents are increasingly inclined to create meaningful experiences through family travel and themed activities for children's growth, which is a key reason behind the recent boom in family tourism.

Following that trend, immersive cultural learning experiences are also on the rise, leading to the growing popularity of activities such as traditional craft workshops, folk customs, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and science education.

In south China's Guangdong Province, GZL International Travel Service has introduced more cultural-heritage-related experiences in their domestic family travel packages to meet the new demand.

The agency has designed a variety of themed packages featuring intangible cultural heritage items, such as dough figurine making and paper cutting. As of June, family travelers had accounted for 82 percent of the agency's summer season customers.

In the meantime, the report by Meituan and CAAPA argued that, in the age of social media, trending intellectual properties (IPs) have also increasingly influenced family travel choices, with parents placing a high value on photo-worthy experiences that can spark online sharing.

According to a recent report by online travel platform Mafengwo, ticket bookings for the Pop Land have surged significantly, driven by the sensational Labubu, a character under Pop Mart's IP portfolio.

Meanwhile, the soon-to-open LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort, the largest LEGOLAND in the world, set to officially launch on July 5, has also become a top summer travel destination for many tourists.

Li Mengran believes that the 2025 summer tourism market is poised for a full recovery and structural transformation, with family travelers serving as the key growth engine.

"Driven by the global economic rebound and expanding international flight capacity, this summer will be marked by three major trends -- family-led demand, stronger themed travel, and deeper, more immersive experiences, which will offer new opportunities for the tourism industry," Li said. ■