Beijing businesses tout May Day holiday deals and events to tap golden-week tourism boom, make up for Covid-19 losses
- After Covid-19 devastation, business owners are seizing the chance to entice an influx of visitors with flash deals and special events
- City officials expect more than visitors during the week-long holiday than during Lunar New Year
Businesses in China’s capital of Beijing, from restaurants and event planners to luxury hotels and village cottages, offered flash deals and special events this week to tap an anticipated tourism boom during the first long break since the Lunar New Year.
Scores of tourists across the country are arriving in the capital during the five-day May Day holiday, known as the “golden week”. Local authorities estimated that the number of trips this week will surpass that during the Lunar New Year, with 158,000 passengers flying to the city on April 29 and 690,000 visitors arriving by train on May 3.
“Reservations for our rooms and restaurants have surged significantly compared to last year,” said Iris Li, director of communications at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing. “To cope with the demand, we’re calling on second-line staff to work on the frontline during the holiday.”
The luxury hotel is offering benefits to guests and exclusive family packages during the five-day holiday. Business owners across the board are doing the same, throwing out deals and discounts for meals and activities only from Saturday to Wednesday to seize the opportunity to boost revenue.
When Chinese workers had April 5 off to observe the Ching Ming festival, it proved to be a boon for businesses. Domestic tourism revenue jumped by 29 per cent year on year to 6.5 billion yuan (US$940 million) on that day, according to Fitch Ratings.
