China's holiday spending exceeds pre-pandemic levels for first time

Chinese spending and travel during the May Day holiday exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time, as people sought to make up for lost time.

Data released on May 4 by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed that domestic tourism revenue during the May Day holiday from April 29 to May 3 reached 148 billion yuan ($21 billion), up 129% year-on-year and slightly higher than in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

Revenues at catering and retail companies rose nearly 20% during the holiday, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Alipay, China’s largest digital payment app, recorded a 200% increase in online spending during the holiday compared to a year ago and 70% higher than in 2019.

Chinese tourists made 274 million domestic trips, up 71% from 2021 and 19% higher than in 2019. China's railway network hit a record 120 million trips from April 27 to May 4, up 20% from the same period in 2019.

A crowded night market in Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, China on April 29. Photo: Xinhua — A crowded night market in Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, China on April 29. Photo: *Xinhua*

For many Chinese, the five-day holiday is their first chance to take a vacation in three years due to the pandemic. During the Lunar New Year holiday in January, many chose to stay home out of fear of infection.

Many tourist destinations in China this week were busier than during previous long holidays. Images on social media showed crowds of people crammed onto buses, bridges and restaurants at popular tourist spots.

"The May Day holiday is crazy!" is a popular hashtag on social media platform Weibo. Many tourists complained online that they could only see people's heads when visiting tourist attractions during the holiday.

Some said so many tourists had flocked to the city of Changsha in Hunan province that the waiting list at a popular dining spot was at one point more than 300 people. Some even had to camp overnight outside the venue of a music festival to secure a spot.

“This is the worst holiday I have ever had,” many people complained on Weibo. To enjoy this long holiday, Chinese people have to make up for it by working on Sunday (April 23) and Saturday (May 6).

Thanh Tam (According to CNN )

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