Domestic tourism soars in China but foreigners stay away

With the Chinese economy facing massive challenges, there have been concerns over its growth potential, at least in the immediate future

Last week's five-day Labour Day holiday in China saw 295 million trips, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This represents an increase of 28% compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic travel figures.

Key takeaways

• Data from the Ministry of Transport shows remarkable figures: 92 million rail journeys, nearly 10 million air journeys and 1.25 billion motorway journeys;
• Despite this surge in domestic travel, international arrivals remain significantly lower, currently at around 30% of 2019 levels for foreigners entering China;
• Ongoing economic uncertainties in China are driving a focus on savings, prompting people to seek value-oriented options for their holidays. This has led to a more cautious and frugal approach to spending, while still enjoying leisure activities.

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