Going to a hot spring always offers a truly relaxing getaway from the pressure of work and daily life. [Photo: sg.com.cn]?

Of the many cold weather outdoor travel activities, going to a hot spring always offers a truly relaxing getaway from the pressure of work and daily life. Many travel agencies have already reported an early peak in pre-bookings for hot spring tours, especially those with an attractive price.

Since mid-October, a wave of hot spring festivals has swept China's domestic travel market as travel agencies have launched various alluring hot spring tours.

"After the National Day golden week holiday, tour routes with hot springs saw twice as many bookings as this time last year; especially given the sudden drop in temperatures, we have had an early boom in the bookings," says Tang Yibo, the director of the holiday section of China's leading travel agency, Ctrip.com.

Bookings for more than 100 travel routes covering the main hot spring areas have seen a dramatic boost, half of that from short distance travel. Long distance travel has also increased as many choose to enjoy hot springs in Sanya, Xiamen, Guilin, etc. In international travel, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are still attractive destinations for hot spring lovers.

According to Tang Yibo, hot spring tours have been widely accepted as a regular relaxing activity by tourists, not only in cold seasons, and more and more are driving themselves when they visit hot spring resorts. Favorable prices are another catalyst for increased hot spring travel.