Request suppressed at the beginning of Golden Week after months of paralysis
Last match October 1, 2020 20:41 BST
Millions of Chinese across the country in an era of “revenge tourism” after nearly a year of quarantine, closures and restrictions.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism predicts that around 550 million other people will travel within the country an eight-day holiday marking the mid-autumn festival and China’s national holiday.
Photos posted on social media on Tuesday, the first day of the national holiday, showed crowded tourist spots and exercise stations occupied by concerned passengers.
People complained online forums that hotels and tickets to tourist sites were complete or that traffic had made it impossible. “Congestion is inevitable,” said one commentator on Weibo. “It’s better to stay home. “
Qunar travel bookings said hotel reservations have doubled to popular destinations such as Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan Province or sanya to Hainan, a southern island.
Travel sites have been fighting for discounted consumers, while airlines have added new routes to meet demand. More than 500 quaint sites across the country offer free tickets or discounts to visitors.
Officials are willing to inspire this repressed request, described by state media as “revenge tourism” or “revenge journey,” the annual holiday known as Golden Week, historically a special time to travel and spend.
Spending over the next 8 days will be a key indicator of China’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The national newspaper Economic Information Daily described this year’s vacation as a “critical battle” for the tourism industry. Commentators say this marks the beginning of Chinese consumers’ “revenge spending. “
“After more than six months of prevention and epidemic work, the holidays will see a real ‘national movement,'” Xu Xiaolei, marketing director of a tour operator called CYTS Tours, told The Global Times.
Officials have put their hopes for economic recovery on Chinese consumers, as a component of the “double circulation” policy promoted through Chinese leader Xi Jinping to insulate the country from industrial disputes and other external risks.
While China has largely contained the virus, and no new cases have been transmitted for about two months, the effects of months of paralysis persist, and many others have run out of paint or money.
The volume of domestic tourism that officials are planning for this year’s Golden Week is less than last year, when nearly 800 million people traveled across the country.
Some other people said they wouldn’t go anywhere. In Weibo, one user said, “I also need revenge [travel] but I don’t have any money. “