Harbin, the "Ice City" in China's northernmost Heilongjiang province, has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in China for the upcoming May Day holiday.
 
That's according to big data analysis performed by Ctrip, an online travel agency based in Shanghai.
 
Harbin ranks sixth on the top 10 travel destination list, following Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province, Enshi in Central China's Hubei province, Dunhuang in Northwest China's Gansu province, Zhangjiajie in Central China's Hunan province and Zhuhai in South China's Guangdong province.
 
The analysis found that most of the incoming tourists are from Shanghai, Beijing, Sanya, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Xiamen, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.
 
Booking data from Ctrip shows that economy class tickets on some flights during the May Day holiday have sold out, and both ticket orders and prices have surpassed the same period in 2019.
 
As of April 14, orders for flights, hotels, scenic spots and car rentals during the May Day holiday increased by 23 percent, 43 percent, 114 percent and 126 percent year-on-year, respectively.
 
This year, 70 percent of tourists traveling for the May Day holiday are undertaking inter-provincial long-term trips.
 
The number of flight tickets to Harbin purchased for the May Day holiday has increased by about 30 times year-on-year, making it stand out among many destinations.
 
Even compared with the same period in 2019, the number of flight bookings has experienced a massive spike – increasing by 129 percent.