Golden Week in China: Travel Booms, But Locals Reluctant to Spend

China12 Views

China’s Golden Week holiday has led to a sharp rise in domestic travel. However, many Chinese citizens remain hesitant to spend money.

According to Channel News Asia (CNA) on Thursday (10/10), the number of domestic trips and total travel spending during China’s week-long National Day holiday surpassed last year’s figures. Yet, per capita spending fell short of pre-pandemic levels, as reported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The data reveals that 765 million domestic trips were made across the country during Golden Week from October 1-7, marking a 5.9% increase year over year.

However, per capita spending was 2.09% lower than during the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to calculations by Reuters.

Despite the surge in travel, average spending saw only a slight increase of 0.38% year on year, remaining nearly flat, as predicted by analysts.

Chinese citizens’ spending has been weak over the past two years, with a downturn in the property market and growing concerns about job security and income stability.

On the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, some users shared stories of bringing their own food to tourist spots to avoid buying snacks and meals from vendors.

During the holiday, Chinese social media was flooded with images of crowds lying on the floors of public restrooms at popular tourist sites like Mount Huangshan. Many chose to sleep there rather than spend money on hotels.

On Weibo (similar to X), one user shared that they visited Beijing during the holiday because it offered budget-friendly travel options.

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