Domestic trips in China during May Day holidays expected to surpass 2019 levels

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Experts have opined that the number of domestic trips in China during the upcoming May Day holidays is expected to go beyond the level of 2019. Tourism remains one of the hardest-hit sectors by the virus, as it rolls toward a full-fledged recovery.

However, tourism income could remain below pre-corona virus level, with an expected recovery of about 60-70 percent from the 2019 level, with relatively low consumer spending, as said by experts. These predictions were made after China’s tourism figures for the recent Qingming Festival holidays showed a noteworthy spring back. From Saturday to Monday, Chinese tourists made 102 million trips, rebounding to 94.5 percent of the pre-COVID-19 level.
China Railway data also showed that 49.91 million passenger trips were made during this year’s Qingming Festival, recovering to 92.4 percent of 2019 levels.

These figures highlight rapid recovery of the tourism market in the post-epidemic era, showing that in terms of trip numbers, the domestic travel market has almost entirely bounced back to normalcy.

Xu Xiaolei, marketing manager at China’s CYTS Tours Holding Co, said that on the company’s platform, the number of bookings for this year’s May Day holidays, for hotels and tourism sites, were already about 10 percent higher compared to 2019. “Just in terms of tourism trips, I believe this year’s total visits will surpass the level in 2019,” said Xiaolei.

He Yuefeng, running a bed and breakfast hotel near China’s well-known tourism site Huangshan Mountain, said that the market looks more promising than in 2019, with more inquiries. All rooms in his hotel are booked for the upcoming holiday.

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