China is battering down the hatches in anticipation of the eight-day travel rush for the May Day holiday.
The rush is expected to run between 29th April and 6th May, and authorities expect passenger flows to peak on Labour Day, 1st May.
In a statement released on Tuesday, 15th April, the China State Railway Group Co, Ltd (China Railway) announced that tickets for rail travel for the holidays are now available and that railways throughout the country will be operating under a peak schedule throughout the holiday.
China Railway expects to operate at least 12,000 trains a day and hopes to meet the upsurge in demand by adding more passenger trains, operating overnight high-speed trains, and attaching additional carriages to previously scheduled trains.
Authorities pointed out that the upcoming holiday will see strong travel demand for family visits, tourism, and spring outings.
The lure of overseas travel
Interestingly, many Chinese are opting for both short- and medium-haul trips overseas, contributing to the surging demand for more diverse travel experiences.
According to a Tuniu Travel report released on Monday, 14th April, group tour bookings are up by 60 percent this year, along with a 29 percent increase in independent travel among tourists from both the mainland, as well as special autonomous regions Hong Kong and Macao.
Authorities have noted over 750,000 outbound and inbound flight bookings for the May Day holidays, with reservations for Japan and South Korea up by 28 percent year-on-year.
While considerably fewer, there are still those who opt for longer journeys to Europe, particularly to Greece, Italy and Norway.
