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China’s ‘golden week’ lives up to its name with strong spending start
- Records set in opening days of national holiday as millions embrace the chance to travel and shop after years of Covid-19 restrictions
- An online ticket booking platform reports a 500 per cent increase in orders compared to the 2019 May Day holidays
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China’s tourism and consumer spending started strongly at the beginning of the May Day holiday, with all eyes on whether the first major public holiday free of Covid-19 worries will boost an economic rebound.
The five-day “golden week” that kicked off on Saturday is the first time China’s population has been able to take a break and travel without pandemic restrictions or fears of infection – the Lunar New Year holiday occurred at the end of a major wave – and many have embraced the opportunity.
In the first three days of the national holiday, an estimated 160 million people travelled, by air, rail, waterway or road, an increase of 161.9 per cent over the same period in 2022, according to People’s Daily.
China’s transport systems reported an influx of travellers on the weekend, with many tourist sites in major cities also reporting record ticket sales.
Rail passengers on Saturday reached a single-day peak of 19.66 million, with 12,064 passenger trains operating, both setting a record high, according to data from China Railway Group.
Passenger and train numbers remained high on Sunday, with 17.83 million people taking 11,353 trains. Train traffic was expected to drop on Monday, with 16 million people taking 10,815 trains.
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