China is preparing for a record-high travel rush over the Labour Day holiday, as domestic tourism rebounds following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Popular sightseeing spots are selling out of tickets, and some cities are warning would-be visitors away.
Authorities expect that people will make 19 million trips across China’s vast railway network on Saturday (Apr 29), the first day of the five-day holiday. This would set the record for the highest number of rail trips made in a single day in the country’s history.
Last year, China locked down several cities including Shanghai to battle the spread of the virus, resulting in only 4.4 million rail trips on May 1.
According to the National Railway Administration, people made about 8.7 million trips a day on average during the 40-day Chinese New Year travel period in January to February this year.
While the May holiday is shorter than the Chinese New Year and October Golden Week holidays, it is still traditionally one of China’s busiest travel seasons. This year, the holiday is crucial for the tourism industry as well as the wider Chinese economy, as the country strives to recover from years of virus disruptions.
The government of Zibo, a small city in China’s coastal Shandong province, has imposed an upper limit on hotel room rates. In addition, they have publicly warned potential visitors that downtown hotels are fully booked by issuing a letter.