Lunar New Year Tourism in China is Unlikely to Reach Pre-Pandemic Levels

(CTN News) – Chinese visitors are expected to travel abroad for the Lunar New Year. However, industry analysts estimate that the numbers will not return to pre-pandemic levels because of the unstable economic scenario and changing consumer tastes.

The official data thus far suggests a large increase in passenger traffic during the 40-day festival travel period known as Chun Yun. Millions of Chinese celebrate at home or abroad during the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival.

On the first day of the travel season, 189 million passenger trips were reported, representing a 19.7% increase over the previous year. Xinhua reported these findings, citing data from various government departments, including the Ministries of Transport and Public Security and the China State Railway Group.

Baidu, a Chinese tech corporation, predicts people will travel to celebrate the Spring Festival. Family vacations and sightseeing travels to other regions fuel this rise.

According to the Baidu research, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou are the top four popular air travel destinations, while Harbin surpasses historically popular tourist locations such as Hangzhou, Kunming, Haikou, and Sanya to rank sixth [behind Chengdu].

With the increase in domestic travel, foreign travel from China is expected to rise. This increase is due to visa-free agreements with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. According to the Baidu survey, Thailand remains a popular destination for Chinese travellers due to its mild temperature.

A recently struck bilateral agreement allows Chinese visitors to enter Thailand without a visa beginning March 1. According to the Baidu survey, long-distance locations such as Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, and other African countries have become popular among younger Chinese tourists due to visa-free agreements and competitively cost tickets.

This year’s Spring Festival is the second after China relaxed its severe Covid-19 restrictions at the end of 2022. However, OAG, a British source of global travel data, predicts that outbound flight capacity will be 30% lower in the first quarter of this year than in 2019.

OAG’s chief analyst, John Grant, blames this on the patchy recovery of flights connecting Northeast, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

“Ultimately, it is about the economics. If the economy isn’t in good shape and people aren’t able to travel, it makes no difference whether you’re in China or the United States.

According to a Bank of America Securities analysis, younger millennials and Generation Z have been the primary drivers of the tourism resurgence, accounting for two-thirds of all travellers during the Chinese New Year holidays.

According to the survey, these younger visitors are more interested in local experiences and outdoor activities and being impacted by social media than their parents.

According to the research, domestic and international travel will continue to recover this year and remain a source of economic growth.

According to the Bangkok Post, viable measures for local governments include promoting local culture on social media, arranging concerts and festivals, and enhancing transport accessibility.