China's civil aviation sector is expected to wrap up its summer travel season Sunday with a total of 147 million passenger trips, highlighting a steady rebound in travel demand.

According to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the two-month season saw nearly 1.2 million flights, up 3.6 percent year on year, with daily passenger volumes averaging 2.37 million and flight occupancy rates reaching 84.8 percent.

The international air transport market expanded rapidly this summer. The number of countries with direct flight connections rose to 80, and an estimated 123,000 international flights were scheduled by Chinese and foreign carriers.

Flight volumes peaked in early August at around 2,100 per day, recovering to about 93 percent of the level seen during the same period in 2019.

Popular destinations for inbound and outbound travel remained concentrated in traditional tourism markets across East and Southeast Asia. 

Meanwhile, emerging and long-haul routes in South Asia, Central and West Asia, and Europe saw notable growth. Flights to the Maldives, 

Switzerland, and Sri Lanka surged more than 50 percent year on year.

Notably, China saw a significant rise in inbound foreign nationals during the summer travel season. Arrivals from visa-exempt countries—including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain—surged by over 50 percent year-on-year. A particularly emerging trend was the growing number of foreign children and senior tourists visiting as part of family tour groups.

"I'm from Vietnam and today I'm here in Shenzhen for a family trip and we are all about to stay here for eight days," said Cassie Pham, a Vietnamese tourist.