China’s transport systems reported an influx of travellers on the weekend, with many tourist sites in major cities also reporting record ticket sales.

Rail passengers on Saturday reached a single-day peak of 19.66 million, with 12,064 passenger trains operating, both setting a record high, according to data from China Railway Group.

Passenger and train numbers remained high on Sunday, with 17.83 million people taking 11,353 trains. Train traffic was expected to drop on Monday, with 16 million people taking 10,815 trains.

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Thousands of tourists flock to China’s Great Wall during ‘golden week’, as travel numbers rebound

Thousands of tourists flock to China’s Great Wall during ‘golden week’, as travel numbers rebound

Beijing’s Capital and Daxing airports reached record highs on Saturday, operating 2,120 flights and receiving a total of 346,900 passengers, according to data published by state news agency Xinhua.

Shanghai’s Pudong airport also saw the arrival of an estimated 46,000 passengers on Friday, the highest number recorded in three years. A total of 1.46 million people are expected to travel through Shanghai’s two airports during the holiday season.

The travel boom – already beating 2019 levels in some respects – is taking off against a backdrop of anxiety over China’s reopening recovery in the absence of any major household stimulus and a tightened labour force.

On Friday, a Politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping concluded that the nation’s reopening had alleviated the pressure of the past couple of years, but concerns remained over the recovery’s sustainability.

April’s unexpected cooling in the country’s manufacturing activity, together with a slowed expansion of services, is the latest evidence of the challenges of post-Covid recovery facing Beijing.

Consumer activity is being closely watched and so far has heated up considerably, according to commerce ministry data reported by state broadcaster CCTV.

Revenue of key retail and catering enterprises nationally rose more than 21 per cent year on year. Clothing sales rose 20 per cent and jewellery was up 17.4 per cent, while sales of key catering businesses increased by 36.9 per cent year on year.

The tourism industry is seeing signs of a strong recovery, with Tongcheng Travel – a major booking platform in China – reporting a more than 500 per cent increase in ticket orders for tourist attractions compared to the same period in 2019.

Bookings for hotels and major transport also exceeded figures for the 2019 golden week, according to China’s National Business Daily, citing data from the platform.

Major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Changsha remain the top travel destinations, with Shanghai Disneyland, the Great Wall, Guangzhou Zoo and Chimelong Ocean Park in Zhuhai among some of the most popular attractions.

Sichuan province, in southwestern China, also reported that ticket revenues for its 829 national-rated scenic sites on Sunday reached 62.4 million yuan (US$9 million), surpassing the same period in 2019.

Other provincial governments are boosting domestic consumption during the golden week, with the southern province of Guangdong distributing 100 million yuan (US$14.4 million) in tickets for tourist sites, flights and accommodation.

In Beijing, consumers are being offered vouchers for smart home appliances through 19 online platforms including JD.com and Xiaomi.