Golden Holidays Created by Government... Chinese Tourists Flock Overseas

International Flight Bookings Up 20% Compared to 2019
Korea Also Recognized as a Popular Travel Destination

The state-run Global Times (GT) reported on the 1st that the number of international flight bookings from China during the Labor Day holiday (May 1-5) reached an all-time high.

GT cited data from the Chinese travel platform Qunar, stating that the number of international flight bookings on the first day of the holiday increased by 20% compared to 2019, before the spread of COVID-19, marking a record high. The number of countries with more flight bookings than in 2019 reached 100, and based on hotel booking data, Chinese travelers are expected to visit 1,035 cities worldwide.

[Image source= Xinhua News Agency]

In China, Labor Day is the third longest holiday after the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and National Day, and consumer activity during this period is considered an indicator of the overall Chinese economy. Especially this year, the government adjusted the work schedule by requiring work on Sunday, April 28, and Saturday, May 11, which were originally days off under the five-day workweek system, and attached the substitute holidays to Labor Day and the holiday period to create a five-day holiday. This was essentially an arbitrary arrangement aimed at boosting domestic consumption and tourism.

Visa-free countries are popular travel destinations. Flight bookings to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries that Chinese citizens can visit without a separate visa issuance increased by more than 30%. GT also reported a sharp rise in demand for long-distance travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, and others. Additionally, European countries such as the United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, and Croatia were introduced as popular travel destinations.

Interest in Japan, which has seen an increase in visitors due to the weak yen, and nearby South Korea is also high. The travel platform Ctrip explained, "So far, the most popular travel destination is Japan, followed by Thailand and South Korea." Based on Qunar data, the top 10 popular travel destinations are Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United States, the Philippines, and Australia, in that order. Japan showed the largest increase among the top 10 countries, with flight bookings rising more than 60% compared to 2019.

Local airlines are responding by increasing international flights. China Southern Airlines announced that it would add more than 900 flights from April 30 to May 6. The total number of flights scheduled to operate during this period currently reaches 19,000. China Eastern Airlines is expanding flights departing from various Chinese cities to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Russia, and other destinations.

In addition, domestic travel demand within China is also rapidly increasing. China Railway Group estimated that the total number of railway passengers over the eight days from April 29 to May 6 will reach 144 million. On the first day of the holiday alone, 21 million people are expected to use the railway. Beijing Capital International Airport authorities forecast that the number of airport users during the holiday will reach 918,000, an increase of about 21% compared to the previous year.