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Domestic travel boost
Chinese authorities -- including the Chinese CDC and foreign ministry -- have urged Chinese citizens to avoid unnecessary overseas travel, citing the still-raging pandemic across the world.
The Golden Week holiday -- the longest in China along with the Lunar New Year holiday -- has traditionally seen middle-class Chinese travel abroad in large numbers. Last year, more than were made during the holiday, with Japan and Thailand among the top destinations, government data showed.
But this year, overseas trips will be practically impossible to make, given the various visa restrictions and quarantine requirements imposed around the world, as well as a lack of international flights. Upon their return to China, travelers must also face two weeks of strict quarantine -- with at least half of the time required to be spent in government-appointed hotels.
The only exception is Macau, which waived quarantine requirements in July for mainland travelers who obtained a negative test result for coronavirus within seven days. Last week, mainland China fully resumed tourist visas for the semi-autonomous region, just in time for the National Day holiday.
As Chinese holidaymakers turn to domestic destinations, local governments are competing to attract tourists. , more than 20 provincial and municipal governments have issued travel vouchers, while some 1,500 tourist spots across China have offered free or discounted tickets.
China's railway operator, China State Railway Group, expected a total of from September 28 to October 8. To cope with the increased Mid-Autumn Festival demand, an additional 1,200 trains have been added to service, but some tickets along popular routes have been snapped up anyway.
Some flights have also sold out. Qunar, a Chinese online travel booking site, more than 15 million domestic flight tickets would be sold for Golden Week, a 10% increase from 2019, partly due to a drop in the price of airfares.
And on Chinese highways, massive traffic jams are expected again this year. An average of per day are expected during the eight-day holiday, a 1% to 3% increase from last year, according to the Transport Ministry.
Wuhan, the original epicenter of the outbreak, has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists since its lockdown was lifted in April. Last month, Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, that nearly 400 of its tourist attractions would be open for tourists for free until the end of the year. On a booking platform set up by the province since the announcement, more than 3.74 million tickets for tourist sites in Wuhan were booked in just over a month, according to the state-run .
The , a famous landmark of Wuhan, topped the list of the most sought-after attractions for Golden Week, according to Ctrip.