TONGCHENGTRAVEL Zhihu releases 2026 Museum Travel Trend Report: 1 out of every 8 sightseeing reservation users visits a museum.

On May 18, the 50th International Museum Day, TONGCHENGTRAVEL and Zhihu jointly released the "2026 Museum Travel Consumption Trend Report." The report pointed out that visiting museums has become a high-frequency daily cultural leisure activity. TONGCHENGTRAVEL data showed that from January 1 to May 15, 2026, the booking popularity of cultural and museum-related attractions on the platform increased by over 40% compared to the previous year, with 1 out of 8 users choosing museum attractions. The ongoing "museum boom" is experiencing a key shift: the core demand of the public visiting museums has shifted from superficial sightseeing to seeking immersive cultural experiences that involve deep understanding, knowledge acquisition, and emotional resonance. This transformation is particularly evident in consumer behavior: this year, the booking popularity of guided cultural and museum products on TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform has grown by over 62%, with families with children and post-2000s generation being the most likely to "listen and browse" during their visits. At the same time, the landscape of museum travel destinations is undergoing profound changes, with third-tier and below cities' booking popularity for cultural and museum attractions exceeding the national average by 12%, signaling the arrival of the "small city, big museum" era. These series of changes are reshaping the ecosystem of cultural and museum travel from user behavior and destination selection to industry services. The report also outlines a clear profile of cultural and museum visitors. Families with children are the mainstay, accounting for over 40% of cultural and museum visits in the past year, driving the peak visits during the summer vacation (July-August). The post-2000s generation has shown the fastest growth, with the number of users visiting museums in two or more cities increasing by 22% this year. Meanwhile, the affluent and leisurely silver-haired generation shows characteristics of deep travel, with over half choosing to travel off-peak on weekdays to enjoy a tranquil viewing environment. In terms of travel habits, Saturdays are the peak days for visitor flow, and "nighttime sessions" as an atmospheric experience choice have seen a 52% increase in booking popularity this year, showing a strong market demand for differentiated experiences. Under this trend, the focus is shifting from "going to museums" as an activity itself to the question of "what to do" there. The density of knowledge and depth of understanding are replacing simple check-ins as the core of the visitor experience. TONGCHENGTRAVEL's platform now sees guided cultural and museum products accounting for over 40% of bookings. This data aligns with the content trends on Zhihu: discussions on the cultural connotations behind artifacts, archaeological sites, and curation strategies have gradually overtaken the conventional appraisal of the age and authenticity of objects. "We have found that the way users ask questions is undergoing a fundamental change," said a Zhihu business leader, "from 'what is this' to 'why it is like this' and 'what it has been through,' this reflects that audiences are no longer satisfied with passive viewing, but eager to connect with the artifacts and the 'people' behind them." The Rise of Small City Museums: Booking Popularity in Third-tier and Below Cities Exceeds the National Average by 12% This thirst for "depth" and "stories" is driving three intertwined trends that together shape the three-dimensional landscape of cultural and museum travel today, profoundly affecting the choice of travel destinations. First is the diversification and diffusion of cultural and museum travel destinations. In terms of city attractiveness, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Shenyang, and Zhengzhou rank among the top 10 popular cultural and museum cities in the country due to their top-notch collection resources and strong cultural influence. At the same time, the pursuit of unique cultural experiences has brought many "hidden gem museums" in non-first-tier cities and counties to the forefront. Data from TONGCHENGTRAVEL shows that the booking popularity of cultural and museum attractions in third-tier and below cities has exceeded the national average by 12% this year. Liuzhou, Huai'an, Taizhou, Chongqing, Xuzhou, Zhuzhou, Haikou, Deyang, Yancheng, and Anyang have become the top 10 "dark horse" cultural and museum cities, each with an annual growth rate of over 100%. In even more remote markets, Gaoyou City, Liyang City, Dayi County, Chengjiang City, Jiangyou City, Zhucheng City, Chun'an County, Yixing City, Yongji City, and Qingzhou City have entered the top 10 popular county-level cultural and museum cities. In terms of specific venues, the Palace Museum, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Terracotta Army), Shaanxi History Museum, National Museum of China, Nanjing Museum, Sanxingdui Museum, Luoyang Museum, Shanghai Museum, Suzhou Museum, and Hubei Provincial Museum, among others, top the list of the most popular history museums in the country due to their top-level IP status. A batch of themed and distinctive "dark horse" museums have seen a faster increase in booking popularity, with top picks including Nanjing Municipal Museum (Chaotian Palace), Shenyang Financial Museum, Baoji Bronze Museum, China's Redwood Museum, Henan Museum of Nature, Three Gorges Immigrant Memorial Hall, Zhao Mausoleum Museum, Qinghai Provincial Museum, Qingshuihe Museum, and Shangyu Museum, showing the segmentation and diversification of tourists' interests. This trend of "sinking" resonates with the broader wave of cultural localization. From a 90s returnee founding an intangible cultural heritage museum in Yongjia, Zhejiang, to young people in Yiyang, Hunan using cameras to document and exhibit the local culture, deep cultural practices are flourishing across vast territories. In this process, the younger generation plays a dual role: they are both "pilgrims" to top museums and "translators" and "creators" of local culture. With a broad vision, keen internet sensibility, and contemporary aesthetics, they continuously explore local scenery and history, transforming them into fresh content that resonates with the present, and through the power of social media, they continue to enhance the attractiveness of "small city, big museums" and local stories. The Solution to Deep Experiential Learning: When Professional Guidance Becomes a "New Bridge" Consuming for the purpose of "understanding" has become a consensus, and "having a guide" has become a necessary experience rather than an optional choice. This year, the booking popularity of guided cultural and museum products on TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform has increased by over 62%, with families with children and post-2000s generation being the most fond of "listening and browsing" during their visits. In a collaborative activity initiated by TONGCHENGTRAVEL and Zhihu called "Relics with Stories," the answers from professional answerers consistently showcase the charm of "deep decoding": they focus on the "ordinary people" in history, decode the "great fusion" of civilizations, and strive to transform cold artifacts into warm and perceptible historical narratives. Scholar Wang Kai narrates the "centennial drifting of a Yungang Buddhist eye," museum founder Ma Weidu shares the moving epic of the return of a statue of East Wei Emperor Changguan Bodhisattva across the sea, and historian Luo Sanyang deciphers an inscription on a bronze ding as a "battlefield newsletter" from a Western Zhou general. They all transform artifacts into perceptible technical epics and stories of intercultural exchange. This high-quality and in-depth content has garnered millions of views online, directly driving the demand for professional guidance services offlineaudiences no longer just want to "see" the story but also desire to "hear" and "feel" it on-site. In response to the universal demand to not just "visit" but also "understand," providing authoritative and lively guidance has become the key to connecting the public's interests with the value of artifacts. To meet this demand, TONGCHENGTRAVEL has partnered with numerous cultural and museum institutions to integrate systematic knowledge interpretation into the visitor experience through "official collaboration and professional training." This model has taken root in several key cultural and museum attractions across the country. At the Ming Tombs in Beijing, the interpretive services are certified by the venue to ensure the accuracy and authority of historical storytelling; in Du Fu's Thatched Cottage in Sichuan, NPC immersive interpretive services have been innovatively introduced to make the poet's humble dwelling more tangible. After the launch of guided products at Jiangsu Lianyungang Port Museum, Suzhou Silk Museum, and other venues, both the average visitor stay time and satisfaction have significantly improved. At present, TONGCHENGTRAVEL has established a network of cultural and museum interpretation services covering the entire country, with hundreds of professional guides. This signifies the platform's role evolving from a "ticket booking gateway" to a "co-builder and provider of deep cultural experiences," making it possible for visitors to explore museums in depth through standardized and quality knowledge services. On the 2026 World Museum Day, TONGCHENGTRAVEL simultaneously launched the "Treasure Museum Exploration Guide." Based on different interests such as "Hall of Civilization," "Aesthetic Stroll," and "Curious Exploration," the guide plans themed routes for users and integrates corresponding in-depth interpretation and content services to provide a practical reference for personalized and deep museum explorations. Users can search for the "Treasure Museum Exploration Guide" on the TONGCHENGTRAVEL app and mini-program to access the event page. "In the past, our services revolved more around 'how to get there.' Now, we hope to accompany users in solving 'how to see, and understand what,'" said a responsible person from TONGCHENGTRAVEL's venue business, "when museum visits shift from 'checking-in' to a form of deep leisure, we look forward to providing more quality knowledge services so that every journey is more rewarding."