BEIJING: China’s tourism market showed a better-than-expected performance over the just-ended eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which started on Feb 10.
Some overseas destinations also offered goodwill gestures and created a festive atmosphere for Chinese travelers, and Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, has officially been listed as a United Nations floating holiday starting this year, which means UN bodies are encouraged to avoid holding meetings on that day.
The latest figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that traveler numbers as well as tourism-related revenue during the holiday reached record highs, thanks to people’s ever-stronger desire to travel, ample market supplies and good tourism policies. The ministry said on Sunday that the domestic tourism market saw 474 million trips during the holiday, up 34.3 percent year-on-year. The number marked a 19 percent increase compared with the same holiday period in 2019.
Domestic tourism-related revenue reached 632.69 billion yuan ($87.95 billion) during the holiday, a striking increase of 47.3 percent year-on-year and 7.7 percent growth from the same holiday period in 2019.
“I haven’t seen so many people jammed in alleys! The food stores and stands along the alley were crowded with people, and I felt like I was floating with the crowds rather than walking by myself,” said Lin Jieyi, a 29-year-old who visited Changsha, Hunan province, with her husband during the holiday.
“I love the city, which is filled with a festive atmosphere. The food here is very delicious, and I almost stuffed myself with rice noodles, pork cooked with peppers, and milk tea every day,” she added. Xiao Peng, a researcher with travel portal Qunar, said that the longer holiday this year — it usually lasts seven days in other years — made tourism-focused trips a more popular choice among the Chinese.
Southern destinations with warmer climate or tropical views, such as Kunming, Yunnan province, and Sanya, Hainan province, remained top choices for tourists, according to travel agencies. Return-flight tickets in economy class departing Sanya were sold out early, leaving only tickets in business or first class. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
