(Yicai) May 11 -- China’s travel market saw a strong boost during this year’s Mother’s Day on May 10, fueled by a surge in young consumers paying for trips with their mothers, the rising popularity of “girls’ trips” among middle-aged women as well as growing travel demand from older ladies, highlighting the growing spending power of female travelers across age groups.

Bookings made by younger people traveling with their mothers jumped by more than 20 percent during the Mother’s Day weekend, according to data from several major travel platforms. Women aged between 31 and 50 emerged as a core consumer group, accounting for more than 55 percent of hotel bookings by women.

Bookings made by travelers aged 20 to 30 for women in their 50s increased significantly between May 9 and 10, according to online travel agency Qunar. Demand for high-end hotels grew the fastest. Women also made up the majority of hotel customers over the weekend and they spent on average around 20 percent more on accommodation than men.

Mother’s Day is also becoming an occasion for women to travel with friends. Beijing-based Qunar reported a clear rise in bookings made by women over 40 for trips involving two or more female travelers over the weekend. The 10 most popular destinations for these “girls’ trips” were Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Nanjing, Wuhan and Hangzhou.

Travel demand among older consumers is also rapidly gaining in popularity. Compared with younger mothers, mothers aged 50 and above tend to prefer natural landscapes and cultural destinations. With more flexible schedules, many are taking advantage of off-peak travel periods to enjoy longer and more immersive trips.

Of the older mothers traveling during Mother’s Day, 44 percent opted for long-distance domestic trips while 39 percent chose to travel abroad, according to online travel company Tuniu. Popular overseas destinations included Thailand, France, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland. Unlike younger travelers, who tend to prefer independent travel, older women were more likely to choose organized tours.

Mother’s Day helped turn what is usually a quieter period after the Labor Day holiday, which ended on May 6, into a strong off-peak travel season, according to the Tongcheng Travel Research Institute. This is particularly true for older travelers with more free time. Coupled with bookings made by children for their mothers, these trends provided a significant boost to consumer spending over the weekend.

Editor: Kim Taylor