According to government data, China recorded 422 million tourist journeys for the weeklong National Day vacation that started on October 1—a decrease of 18.2% from the previous holiday season—as the industry continues to be negatively impacted by strict COVID-19 controls.
According to data from China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, state broadcaster CCTV reported late on Friday that the number of trips was 60.7% lower than the pre-COVID 2019 level.
The report indicated that domestic tourism receipts, at 287.2 billion yuan ($40.37 billion), were just 44.2% of their pre-pandemic 2019 level and down 26.2% on the year.
After a COVID outbreak, with 12 positive cases of the Omicron BA.5.2 variant reported by the end of Thursday, one well-known destination, Xishuangbanna in southwest China’s Yunnan province, was subject to strict curbs over the holiday season. Districts were locked down, and tourists were not allowed to leave.
In addition to providing emergency food supplies to visitors unable to leave their hotels, the area has ordered three rounds of testing in Jinghong, one of its metropolitan centers.
After halting outbound travel on October 4, Urumqi, the capital of the remote northwest region of Xinjiang, has set up temporary lodging for travelers.
State media said on Friday that the government will also assist stranded migrant workers in finding employment locally.
Many people have opted to stay home because COVID limitations make travel difficult. According to Ctrip, China’s largest online travel operator, local tourist spending per person increased by 30% on a yearly basis.
