The policy direction has already been implemented in multiple provinces. Lin"s choice reflects a broader shift in travel behavior this year, as the overlap between spring breaks and the Qingming Festival holiday has effectively lengthened the vacation window, reshaping how Chinese travelers plan and spend, a Chinese expert noted.

　　"Driving gives us more flexibility, but we need more time," Lin said. "Spring is the best season to be outdoors, and we didn"t want to be confined to just one place."

　　Rising consumption demand

　　Travel platform Qunar told the Global Times in a statement on Thursday that as early as Tuesday, some families had already set off, forming the first wave of peak departures. By April 1, most spring break travelers had checked into hotels, driving occupancy in popular cities to nearly double that of a year earlier, the statement said.

　　Meanwhile, another Chinese online travel agency, Tongcheng Travel, said the number of trips and travel demand on April 1, the first day of spring break, is expected to match that of April 4, the first day of the Qingming holiday.

　　Some families are also opting to return earlier to avoid peak congestion, making the traditionally quieter mid-holiday period more active. Flight bookings for April 5 have risen by about 40 percent year-on-year, according to platform data.

　　Meanwhile, car rental services are seeing a surge in demand as more people opt to travel on wheels. According to a statement from domestic car rental service provider, CAR Inc, bookings for trips lasting more than four days have increased by over 120 percent, with the average rental period extending to around five days.

　　The company"s data also suggests that travelers are no longer limiting themselves to short suburban outings, but are instead expanding their travel radius through self-driving trips.