China public holidays bring 2023 post-COVID travel boom for economy

Tokyo — Something unimaginable just one year ago is happening in China. With coronavirus lockdowns and travel restrictions behind them, hundreds of millions of Chinese are flocking to tourist attractions around the country.

Centered around the May Day public holiday on the first of the month, China’s spring break lasts five days, starting on April 29. The China Tourism Academy predicted that more than 240 million passenger trips would be made during the five-day period this year, beating even pre-pandemic figures.

On the first day, travel surged 151.8% compared to the same day last year, with tickets to popular sites including the Badaling section of the Great Wall, near the Chinese capital, and Shanghai Disney all sold out. Both of Beijing’s airports saw record numbers of…