China tourism boom

Crowded view of Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai. Photo:Xinhua

The latest data from online travel agency Trip.com shows that the number of Chinese domestic travel bookings for the five-day holiday (which began on April 29) has increased by more than 700% compared to the same period last year. The lack of available rooms for the holiday is a common situation for many hotels and motels in China during this time.

In addition, the data also recorded a remarkable growth in demand for overseas travel. International travel is expected to have positive signals during this year's International Labor Day holiday as the number of Chinese people searching for air tickets to travel abroad has exceeded the 2019 level.

Tourism recovery

Experts say the May 1 holiday will effectively contribute to the recovery of China's tourism industry after Beijing lifted Covid-19 prevention measures.

"The Chinese tourism market has started to recover this year. We will see a 'travel fever' during the May Day holiday," said Li Huiqin, a tourism expert at the China University of Geosciences.

China recorded 1.22 billion domestic tourist visits in the first quarter, up 46.5% year-on-year, Xinhua reported, citing data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Domestic tourism revenue rose 69.5% year-on-year in 2022.

“The pent-up demand for tourism will be released strongly in the post-pandemic period,” Li said, predicting that the tourism market will be better than the same period in 2019.

Local tourism authorities in China are now adjusting policies to boost tourism demand. One common approach is to make full use of local cultural resources. Beijing has tapped into traditional art forms and intangible cultural heritage to attract tourists.

A total of 1,170 art performances have been scheduled at 147 venues across the Chinese capital during the holiday.

Aviation boom

According to the latest data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, flight bookings for the upcoming Labor Day holiday have exceeded 6 million. The agency forecasts that the number of flight tickets nationwide will reach 9 million during the May 1 holiday.

China's major online travel company Ctrip said domestic flight ticket searches during the May Day holiday exceeded last year's figure by more than 290% and recovered to 110% compared to the same period in 2019.

A recent report by the China Tourism Academy also revealed that the number of domestic tourism trips will reach about 4.55 billion in 2023, up 73% year-on-year. The total number of domestic and international tourists is expected to exceed 90 million.

According to Zing