BEIJING — Travelers from mainland China found themselves stuck near their home in Asia during the Lunar New Year, the first public holiday after Beijing eased its Covid-related border controls.
Hong Kong and Macau are the most popular locations, Trip.com said, citing flight bookings on its platform for the first four days of the lunar new year. The seven-day holiday began on Saturday.
Here are the next three most popular overseas destinations for travelers from the mainland, according to Trip.com:
3. Bangkok
4. Singapore
5. Phuket, Thailand
Flight bookings for travel from the mainland to overseas destinations during the first four days of vacation have quadrupled from a year earlier, according to Trip.com.
In late December, Beijing announced that from Jan. 8, travelers would no longer have to quarantine upon arrival in the mainland, and Chinese citizens could resume overseas vacation travel. The change ended nearly three years of border controls.
However, Japan and South Korea – both popular with Chinese tourists – subsequently imposed temporary restrictions on travelers from China, including restrictions on visas and the quarantine of Covid-positive people.
Singapore has not announced any changes, while Thailand scrapped its plan to require proof of Covid vaccination from international visitors just days after the announcement.
China has seen a surge of Covid infections after Beijing ended most domestic Covid controls in early December. A negative Covid test is still required for travel to the mainland.
In 2019, Chinese outbound tourists spent US$54.7 billion on shopping, according to Euromonitor International.