The number of domestic trips taken by Chinese tourists over the country’s biggest holiday periods since Wuhan lifted its lockdown is expected to drop by half. According to the research by a travel agency, only 90 million trips are expected to be taken during the five-day break, which starts on May 1 with International Labour Day. This year, most of the people are now planning to stay within the country or staying at luxury hotels and move to weekend holiday destinations. This compares with the 195 million domestic trips taken during 2019’s holiday.
Ching Ming Festival is the tomb-sweeping festival in China. This festival in Ching Ming is a time when families traditionally visit the graves of their ancestors but, after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, the three-day holiday saw a significant increase in hotel bookings on the mainland, giving the Chinese tourism sector hope for a similar upswing for the May break.
The Shanghai-based travel firm said that the Labor Day holiday marked the first travel peak season of the year and estimated domestic travel could double the numbers seen in early April when more than 43 million trips were taken within China during the Ching Ming Festival.
The Chinese government is also discouraging international trips, with the foreign ministry advising the public not to go abroad and travel agencies barred from organising tours for holidaymakers outside their home provinces.
Despite the relatively long holiday – at five days, this year’s May Daybreak is the longest in 13 years – most people will refrain from leaving their home cities, with safety from the continuing threat of the coronavirus or COVID-19 a major concern.
Tags: china, china tourism
