“China’s Outbound Tourism Booms During May Day Holiday: Data and Trends”

China’s outbound tourism is witnessing an unprecedented boom during the May Day holiday season, marking the first long holiday since the seven-day Spring Festival holiday in late January. Traditionally, the five-day holiday is one of China’s busiest tourist seasons, with citizens planning their outbound trips weeks before the break. Chinese travel agency Trip.com Group reports that by early April, mainland outbound travel bookings for this holiday had multiplied 18 times year-on-year. The outbound group travel market was halted in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but after China resumed outbound group tours in February, travel agencies have been inundated with tourists’ pent-up demand. Businesses abroad also welcome Chinese tourists as outsized contributors to the international travel market. The growth of outbound tourism also drives the recovery of the airline industry. Dai Bin, president of China Tourism Academy, projects that China’s outbound tourism market will experience a sustained and accelerated recovery throughout 2023.