HONG KONG (AP) – Some 637 million Chinese traveled within their country during the recent eight-day Golden Week holiday, spending tens of billions of dollars at a time when China hopes to inspire consumers to spend more. and stimulate the economy.
More than 45% of China’s 1. 4 billion people traveled during the holidays, which began on October 1. They spent 466. 6 billion yuan ($69. 5 billion), according to the knowledge of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
That’s 21% less and 30% less spending, but figures still show that intake is starting to pick up after the severe blows it suffered earlier in the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The numbers are a “positive signal” to China and the rest of the world, that economies can temporarily once the coronavirus is under control, said Shivaji Das, managing director of studies and consulting firm Frost.
Fewer people have traveled and those who have traveled have spent less caution in the face of the pandemic, which has declined in China but not elsewhere.
“Manty’s other people lost the source of income or were unemployed at the worst moments of the pandemic, so others seek to be more financially cautious,” he said.
Trips to China, and even cities, were limited since lunar New Year last January, as China fought against the spread of the coronavirus that emerged in the central city of Wuhan. During the five days off of Labor Day in May, domestic tourism revenues fell nearly 60% compared to last year.
“Chinese customer confidence has been particularly restored through good enough pandemic control, government policies and customer spending stimulus, and faster-than-expected recovery in business,” said Jennifer Ye, PwC’s China customer market leader.
Tourism and spending figures for Golden Week mean that national intake is recovering, due to the so-called “revenge purchase” to compensate for the last few months in which they were unable to travel, he said.
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Since many Chinese tourists cannot travel abroad due to global travel restrictions, those who have traveled to Hong Kong and South Korea in the past for duty-free purchases headed to Hainan Island in southern China, spending 530 million yuan ($78 million). duty-free. stores the first five days of the festival, according to a report by the state broadcaster of China CCTV.
China’s province raised the limits to duty-free shopping on July 1, hoping to attract domestic tourists and compete with food shopping in Europe and other parts of Asia.
China has not reported any coronavirus infections transmitted since 16 August and restrictions have been relaxed.
To bring domestic tourism to life, local governments and online platforms such as Ctrip and Fliggy will offer discounts to tourists on charming tickets, hotels and arrangements
According to a Ctrip report, the number of flight bookings, personal tours and charm tickets on its platform has increased by one hundred percent compared to the same time last year.