COVID-19 Contained, China to See 600 Million Domestic Vacation Trips in 'Golden Week Holiday'
Beijing, October 1: The air travel in China is expected to surge in October as compared to the same period last year as millions of citizens will use the aerial route to embark on vacations during the 'Golden Week Holiday'. The rail and road commutation numbers would also increase, as more than 600 million domestic vacation trips are planned for the seven-day period beginning from today. China Restricts Climbing 'Wild Great Wall', Says Will Punish Those Who Plan to Climb It.
The resurgence in domestic tourism industry comes months after China significantly contained the spread of COVID-19. Since January this year, travel and hospitality sector was grounded in the Asian nation which was the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic.
A Trip.com estimate revealed that 600 million vacation journeys are planned during the Golden Week. The numbers, though lower than 780 million reported last year, are considered significant as they come in backdrop of the raging pandemic.
What is China's Golden Week Holiday?
The National Day of People's Republic of China is observed on October 1. The date also coincides with the observance of a week-long Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Hong Kong. The period is considered as one of the most preferred time for vacations in China, ahead of the winter season that begins next month.
Restaurant, Hotel Costs Up
Even as the tourism sector is struggling to recover, hotels and restaurants have decided to raise the costs in bid to compensate the losses they suffered over the past nine months. Hotels and resorts in Sanya, a renowned resort on the island province of Hainan, have raised the room fares by nearly 50 percent. Luxury hotels in Shanghai are charging 20 percent above their erstwhile costs. Restaurants across the country have also raised their prices by 7-15 percent.
