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Millions of Chinese people kept their spending down during the first major holiday in China since the coronavirus outbreak. During the May Day holiday, also known as Labor Day holiday, that ran from May 1 to May 5 this year, China recorded 115 million tourist trips domestically, raking in tourism revenue of 47.56 billion yuan ($6.79 billion), according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. That’s a 59.58% slump from the 117.67 billion yuan recorded for last year’s Labor Day holiday, which was one day shorter and ran from May 1 to May 4, according to figures disclosed by the ministry. Last year, the country recorded 195 million visits. While overall figures fell short of 2019, online travel booking site Ctrip said car rental reservations rose 10% from last year. Shanghai, Sichuan province’s capital Chengdu and Sanya city on Hainan Island were among the three most popular destinations, according to Ctrip. Just a day or so before the Labor Day holiday began, the city canceled the self-quarantine policy for most travelers. The Forbidden City’s Palace Museum also reopened to visitors on May 1 after closing in late January due to the coronavirus. The museum received about 5,000 visitors a day during the five-day holiday, according to state media. |
