China’s travellers prepare for May Day holiday, but will it be a golden week for consumer spending?
- China’s five-day ‘golden week’ holiday starts on Saturday, with eyes on consumer spending amid Beijing’s overall economic recovery efforts
- Domestic travel has already rebounded to pre-Covid levels, according to online travel booking platforms, but outbound bookings have yet to recover
Zhao Xin has mixed feelings about finally making her first trip outside China for three years during the coming “golden week” holiday, which is being closely watched as a litmus test for consumer spending amid the overall economic recovery efforts.
“I am both very excited and anxious, I have been trying to plan very thoroughly as travelling outside the country is so unfamiliar to me now,” said the 34-year-old marketing executive from Shanghai, who travelled abroad around five times a year before the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Zhao is heading to the French capital of Paris for a 12-day trip with friends, all of whom were locked inside their flats during last year’s citywide lockdown of China’s commercial and financial hub.
Like many of China’s working population, Zhao is set to make use of the coming five-day golden week holiday, which starts on Saturday.
Due to the limitations on flights, policies on visas and total days of holidays, outbound travelling has not completely recovered to the pre-Covid level
Domestic travel has already rebounded to pre-Covid levels, according to online travel booking platforms, but outbound bookings have yet to recover.