Festival travel sets several records

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush, a major indicator of economic activity and social mobility, concluded on Tuesday with over 8.4 billion passenger trips taken, a significant increase from last year and marking several record highs.

The 40-day travel period saw a surge in travel demand fueled by a strong desire for family reunions and leisure trips. Compared to the same period in 2023, passenger trips soared by 78 percent.

The robust figures highlight the country's economic vitality and the public's eagerness to travel after pandemic restrictions were eased last year.

Both the railway and civil aviation sectors achieved record-breaking figures, with railways transporting 484 million passengers, and airplanes facilitating 83.4 million journeys, according to reports from the China State Railway Group and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

China's expanding railway network has made trains a preferred choice for long-distance travel. To accommodate the surge in passenger demand during the travel rush, the railway service provider added numerous passenger trains. China State Railway Group reported that passenger transportation capacity reached a record high, with daily operations of national railway passenger trains increasing by 18.5 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

The civil aviation industry, the transport sector hit hardest during the pandemic, also experienced record-breaking numbers during the travel rush, setting an optimistic tone for the new year.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China reported that daily average passenger trips exceeded 2.09 million, marking a 51.1 percent increase from last year and a 14.5 percent rise compared to 2019.

In addition to robust domestic air travel, there has been a notable surge in international travel demand, particularly to neighboring countries and regions such as Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Airlines have responded by increasing capacity on these popular routes to meet market demand.

Some passengers faced challenges in securing tickets.

Han Lingling, a teacher in Beijing, submitted over 20 applications on the waiting list to secure a railway ticket for her journey home before Spring Festival.

"It is like the old days before the pandemic again," she said.

The travel rush has kept transportation professionals busy, and many expressed a preference for the bustling atmosphere compared to the quiet period during the pandemic.

Liu Jingya, a bullet train driver in Hubei province, operated nearly 60 services during the Spring Festival rush, compared to the usual 45 during normal times.

"It's busy but reassuring," he said.