Crowd gathered to watch light show at Songhua River in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, May 1, 2024./ CFP
China's five-day May Day holiday concluded on Sunday, with 295 million domestic trips and 8.47 million cross-border trips recorded, official data showed.
According to estimates from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the country saw a total of 295 million domestic trips during the five-day holiday, with more than 166.8 billion yuan ($23.1 billion) worth of spending, a yearly increase of 7.6 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively.
Guangzhou, Chongqing and Chengdu became the top three cities for consumption during the holiday, based on WeChat Pay data.
Chinese tourists react to pigeons at Tha Phae Gate, one of many tourist hotspots, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, April 23, 2024./ CFP
Meanwhile, border inspection agencies across China handled nearly 8.47 million entry and exit trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, a 35.1 percent increase from the same period last year, the National Immigration Administration said Monday.
International flights and hotel bookings achieved a record high as Chinese travelers made their marks across 1,035 cities worldwide during the May Day holiday, Qunar data showed.
WeChat Pay data further indicated neighboring countries Thailand, Japan and South Korea as popular overseas destinations.
Inbound travel bookings on Trip.com more than doubled over the holidays, compared to the same period last year.
Alipay data showed that foreign card transactions by overseas visitors on the platform increased by sevenfold, whereas the number of Chinese merchants conducting business with international tourists showed a 4.5-times increase.
(With input from Xinhua)