A surge in Chinese tourists traveling overseas has helped revitalize the world’s largest travel market during the extended May Labor Day holiday, with outbound trips nearing pre-pandemic levels. According to ForwardKeys, a travel forecasting company, outbound trips between April 27 and May 5 are only 7% below levels seen in 2019.
The positive trend is evident from the significant increase in bookings for the five-day break that began on Wednesday, surpassing expectations based on ticket sales at the start of April. This last-minute rush has propelled the number of outbound trips to almost pre-pandemic levels. In addition to this, domestic ticket sales have already exceeded 2019 levels by 4% for the same period.
The rebound in Chinese tourism is a positive sign for the global travel industry, as it indicates a strong desire among Chinese tourists to resume their international travels. As more countries reopen their borders and ease travel restrictions, it is expected that this trend will continue to grow, further boosting the recovery of the travel sector.