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Golden week
EconomyChina Economy

China’s ‘golden week’ travel drops as zero Covid-19 approach forces consumers to stay home

  • The number of trips taken on roads on Wednesday was 34.1 per cent below levels seen in 2019 and 2.2 per cent lower than last year
  • Officials advised against unnecessary travel and gatherings over the ‘golden week’ holiday, which began on Friday, citing the risk of further coronavirus outbreaks

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The seven-day ‘golden week’ break is China’s most important annual holiday after the Lunar New Year and traditionally a time for tourism trips. Reuters
Bloomberg

Travel during China’s “golden week” national holiday was down by a third on pre-coronavirus levels, with government measures to contain sporadic outbreaks prompting holidaymakers to spend closer to home.

The number of trips taken on China’s roads on Wednesday was 34.1 per cent below levels seen in 2019, according to the transport ministry, and 2.2 per cent lower than last year.

Trips taken on roads, rail and other transport networks have been consistently a third below pre-pandemic levels for each of the first five days of the week-long break.

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To achieve its zero-tolerance Covid-19 goals, China has used strict measures of quarantine and business closures to stamp out imported clusters of the delta-variant of the coronavirus that emerged from late July.

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Tourists stranded 2 hours on mountain due to bad weather during China’s national holiday

Tourists stranded 2 hours on mountain due to bad weather during China’s national holiday

Officials advised against unnecessary travel and gatherings over the golden week holiday, which began on Friday, citing the risk of further outbreaks.

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The seven-day break is China’s most important annual holiday after the Lunar New Year and traditionally a time for tourism trips. 
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