Amid Covid-19 lockdowns, Chinese tourism turns inward, giving rise to camping and suburb tours; or nothing at all

Statistics show that Chinese people are still travelling, but they are mostly staying within their city or province

And in doing so, spending has fallen off a cliff, with travellers only spending 45 per cent of pre-pandemic levels

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Camping has become a trendy activity in China as people are looking for things to do amid strict Covid-19 rules. Photo: Handout

Published: 5:00pm, 7 May 2022

Chinese tourists used to dominate the global tourism market, but, as strict Covid-19 controls make it nearly impossible to leave the country, prospective travellers have decided to stay closer to home.

Local tourism made up 40 per cent of all business during the recent Labour Day holiday, marking a “considerable increase” from the same period in both 2021 and 2020, leading online travel agency Ctrip said in a report earlier this week.

Depending on regional definitions, local tourism is defined as travel within a city or province.

One activity that has grown dramatically in popularity is camping, which has become something of a lifestyle trend for Chinese urbanites. Ctrip searches for the term “camping” surged by 90 per cent on the first day of the holiday, the company said.

People in China have chosen to get outside rather than go on big trips amid the country’s Covid-19 outbreak. Photo: Chinanews.com

The spectre of Covid-19 hovers over the changing dynamics, as the potential consequence of getting locked out of China, or their home city, has made international tourism for most Chinese people almost impossible.