
More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday.
The total income of the travel industry was valued at $4.97 billion between May 1 to May 3, as per the Ministry.
On Sunday alone, local tourists made 30.94 million outings across the nation, bringing the total travel industry income to $1.78 billion, as indicated by the officials.
Most of the travellers hail from China's greatest populace areas, with enormous numbers making trips from Beijing, Dalian and Wuhan, the city where the principal instances of Covid-19 were accounted for.
The domestic Air travel industry is also showing first signs of recovery, according to press statements from travel analytics companies.
It was estimated that the number of domestic trips in China would increase to about 2.38 billion trips by 2020, indicating an increase of over 50 per cent compared to the number of trips made within China ten years ago.
Tourism has become an important contributor to the domestic economy in China since the beginning of reform and opening in the early eighties.
The emergence of an affluent middle class and an easing of movement restrictions for locals and foreign visitors are both supporting this travel boom.
(With inputs from agencies)