China Holiday Travel Exceeds Pre-Covid Level in Boost to Economy
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Travel in China surged over the Labor Day holidays as consumers emerged from three years of pandemic restrictions and Covid waves, boosting the economy’s recovery.
The number of domestic trips made over the five-day break reached 274 million, up 19% from the pre-pandemic level in 2019 and almost 71% higher than last year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a statement on Wednesday. The rebound in tourism spending was much more subdued, with the 148 billion yuan ($21.4 billion) spent only 0.7% higher than the pre-pandemic level, although it was more than double the amount in 2022 when many large cities such as Shanghai were in lockdown.