The spike in COVID-19 cases in Beijing last week has had an immediate and dramatic impact on the tourism market around the Beijing, Tianjin and Heibei Province region. 

Beijing Capital International Airport has seen a 60 percent drop in its passenger capacity with over 350,000 fewer seats operating this week. The new Beijing Daxing International Airport saw a slightly larger 63 percent reduction in its capacity with some 186,000 less seats available. 

All those reduction were seen as the result of the tough social distancing rules in place. 

The Ministry of Transport has toughened information checks for travelers leaving Beijing. A positive nucleic acid test result within the last seven days is required for anyone out of Beijing, along with a green health code.

The ministry will continue to suspend inter-provincial tourist passenger bus services, as well as taxi and ride-sharing services in and out of Beijing. 

More efforts will be made to strengthen transportation guarantees for production materials and daily necessities in Beijing.

China has lately seen an increased demand for rail travel as businesses resumed work and schools reopened.

Passenger trips on trains are expected to reach 26 million in China during the Dragon Boat Festival travel rush this week, the latest data showed.

The China State Railway Group Co. Ltd. said the country will see an estimated 6.7 million passenger trips on Wednesday, the first day of the travel rush.

The Dragon Boat Festival holiday travel rush will last until Saturday and the railway company expects seven million domestic trips to be made on Thursday.

Railway departments will put more trains into operation to handle a spike in trips for tourism and family visits and enhance anti-epidemic measures to ensure passenger safety, said the company.