115-million trips made, many by car and by younger people emerging from weeks of a coronavirus lockdown, augers well for the sector
A woman in traditional Chinese clothing visits Gubei Water Town on the first day of the five-day Labour Day holiday, after the Covid-19 lockdown, near Beijing, China, May 1 2020. Picture: REUTERS/CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS
The total of 115-million trips over the holiday was down 41% from the 195-million over the same period last year, according to the ministry of culture and tourism. But the figure beat expectations of about 90-million trips and was a hopeful sign, travel operators and authorities said. Japanese financial firm Nomura said China’s holiday activity indicated a return to normal for its economy, but it would be gradual. “The pace of the recovery is quite slow, as the Chinese government is still maintaining some social-distancing measures, consumer confidence is clouded by elevated uncertainty, and plummeting exports dent household income and slash millions of jobs,” Nomura wrote in a report.
More than half the bookings for Trip.com’s holiday packages were made by travellers born in 1990 or later, known as China’s post-90s and post-00s generations, the company said, with scenic spots, such as the Jiuzhaigou National Park, as well as the cities Chengdu and Shanghai among top picks.
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