The three-day Qingming Festival holiday that ended on Monday saw 102 million tourist trips made across China with tourism revenue hitting 27.17 billion yuan ($4.15 billion), up 228.9 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The domestic tourism market, which was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, is seeing a gradual rebound. The number of domestic tourist trips and tourism revenue bounced back to 94.5 percent and 56.7 percent, respectively, of the pre-pandemic levels, the ministry said.
Many revived their travel plans that had been cancelled during the Chinese New Year holiday in February when millions were advised to stay put to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections.
A total of 145 million passenger trips were made in the country during this year's holiday, maintaining a high passenger flow with a year-on-year increase of 142 percent, the Ministry of Transport said on Monday. High-speed railway remained popular among travelers with over 10 million train trips recorded on each day of the holiday.
Beijing remained the most sought-after tourist destination in the country according to online travel agency Qunar. The number of flights from and to Beijing was the highest on its platform. Some 180 tourist spots in the city welcomed over six million visits during the holiday, according to the local tourism bureau.
A survey by the China Tourism Academy (CTA), a Beijing-based research institution, showed that a majority of tourists opted for spring outings, trips to suburban and rural areas as well as self-driving tours.
In addition, museums, libraries, art galleries and theaters also welcomed throngs of visitors as exhibitions, plays and concerts were back on the menu. CTA's survey showed that 93.4 percent of tourists attended multiple cultural activities during the holiday.
The Sanxingdui Museum located in southwest China's Sichuan Province was also a hot destination after announcing new archaeological discoveries in late March. The site received a record-breaking number of nearly 20,000 visitors on peak day.
