BEIJING: China witnessed a surge in domestic tourist trips during the May Day holidays, with nearly 300 million trips taken within the country, reflecting the growing momentum in the nation’s economic recovery, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

According to Global Times, there has been a notable surge in domestic tourism expenditure, amounting to 166.89 billion yuan ($23.51 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 12.7 percent and a 13.5 percent rise from 2019 figures. Analysts have observed that the growth rate in both tourism excursions and expenditure over the May Day holidays has exceeded that of other significant holidays, suggesting a robust resurgence in tourism and domestic consumer activity.

In addition to domestic travel, China also experienced a significant increase in inbound and outbound trips during the holidays, with more than 3.67 million trips recorded. Favourable policies such as the resumption of flights and measures to facilitate international payment contri
buted to the rapid recovery of the tourism industry.

Major Chinese platforms reported a boom in inbound and outbound orders, with Trip.com seeing a 105 percent year-on-year growth in inbound tourism orders and Alipay reporting a seven-fold increase in usage by inbound tourists with foreign cards compared to the previous year.

The tourism and consumption activities during the May Day holidays are expected to play a vital role in stimulating the economy by unleashing demand and boosting production, pushing the economy to work at full capacity.

Source: Emirates News Agency