China’s Travel Rush Over Holiday Sees Tourism and Spending Soar - BNN Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- China’s tourism and consumer activities rose sharply on the first day of the five-day Labor Day holiday, as residents rushed to travel and spend after three years of Covid restrictions finally ended.

Some 19.7 million railway trips were made across the country on Saturday, the highest on record for a single day, local media The Paper reported citing data from China Railway Group Ltd. The railway operator expects traffic to rise to a record 120 million passengers for the extended holiday period, up 20% from the same period in 2019, before the pandemic struck.

Shoppers were out in force on Saturday too, with major retail and catering companies seeing sales jump 21% from a year ago, according to Ministry of Commerce data cited by state broadcaster CCTV. Key food chains saw a 37% revenue boost, clothing sales climbed 21%, while sales of jewelry, cigarettes and alcohol all rose 17%.

Many residents are making their first trips since the pandemic after authorities scrapped Covid curbs in December, fueling a rapid rebound in consumption and domestic tourism. But the strength and sustainability of the recovery remains in question, amid weak household income growth and youth unemployment hovering at record highs. Many young tourists are now opting for low-cost, value-for-money experiences, with some unexpected destinations becoming the new travel hotspots.  

In Beijing, where some of the strictest travel restrictions were imposed during the pandemic, over 1.4 million trips were made in and out of the city’s railway stations on Saturday. That’s a jump of 1,485% from last year, and 27% from 2019, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport. Flights coming in and out of Beijing also saw passenger numbers soar 1,594% from last year, and 14% from 2019.

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