Linyi's first autumn holiday turns a scheduling puzzle into a family travel season

More than 1.7 million students in compulsory education in Linyi, East China's Shandong province, began the city's first autumn holiday on Nov 13, with three weekdays added to the following weekend to create a five-day break — a "3+2" arrangement that local authorities describe as a way of turning a crowded school calendar into usable family time.

The holiday was introduced in response to a long-standing complaint from parents that the school year offers no continuous block of free days outside the two national golden weeks, when travel costs and crowds both peak. By placing the break in mid-November, the city is trying to move family trips into a shoulder season.

The market responded quickly. Travel platform Qunar reported that searches combining "autumn holiday", "parent-child" and "autumn foliage" rose 220 percent month-on-month in Linyi, while local hotel bookings for November were up 50 percent and flight bookings up 20 percent year-on-year.

Scenic areas have adjusted pricing accordingly. Yishui county is offering free first-gate tickets to all fee-charging A-level attractions for Linyi students, following a spring pilot in which visitor numbers at participating sites rose 300 percent under a policy that admitted students in grade 8 and below without charge. Mengshan's Guimeng and Yunmeng scenic areas are waiving admission for teachers from across the country and for students aged 16 and under, and are running a promotion under which a group of four climbing the mountain pays half price for tickets and receives a free local stir-fried chicken dish.

Tianmeng scenic area has gone further, offering 42 consecutive days of free admission to residents of Shandong and neighbouring Jiangsu province.

Travel agencies said the timing works in families' favour. Zhu Xiaoxia of Wanda International Travel Service said package prices for the period are 20 to 30 percent lower than during the National Day holiday, and that bookings are concentrated on two- to three-day trips within the province and to nearby Jiangsu and Anhui.

Bai Liang, marketing general manager of the Underground Grand Canyon scenic area, said the site has prepared study-tour routes and family packages for the holiday, while Wan Shijie, general manager of Tianmeng, said the free-admission window is intended to build repeat visits rather than chase one-off revenue.

Guo Feng, a teacher at Linyi No 34 Middle School, said the break gives students a chance to see the city rather than simply rest at home, and that the school has suggested families use the time for short trips that connect with what students learn in class.

Editor：韩蒙蒙