CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Train tickets for April 30, the day before the May Day holiday, went on sale on April 16. The travel booking data from Qunar.com shows that Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Wuhan, Changsha, Zhengzhou, and Hangzhou are the most popular tourist destinations for the upcoming holiday. Large cities and tourist cities will experience large passenger flow.

It’s also been the peak booking period for outbound travelers. In addition to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and other popular tourist countries, some less famous towns abroad have become preferred travel destinations for Chinese travelers. As of April 15, Chinese travelers have booked hotel rooms in 957 foreign cities.

Most people will travel to visit friends or relatives during the May Day holiday. Compared with the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, the May Day holiday is longer with a higher average number of daily travelers.

In terms of departure time, the 16:00 - 22:00 on April 30, 6:00 - 10:00 on May 1, and May 5 (the last day of the holiday) will see the largest number of passengers in transportation hubs.

To celebrate the upcoming May Day, several scenic spots in Chongqing have prepared a series of activities for travelers. A few days ago, the Fuling Mexin Wine Town carried out emergency rescue exercises for cableway operation. As the May Day holiday is approaching, safety checks are repeated for all the cableways and other amusement facilities in the scenic area to eliminate potential safety hazards, said Zhang Heng, the head of the cableway project in the Fuling Mexin Wine Town.

To optimize, the Mexin Red Wine Town has strengthened the safety inspection of large amusement facilities, special recreation equipment, and fire-fighting facilities, enhanced service quality, and launched the ‘Scenery Appreciation & Wine Consumption’ half-price packages. At the same time, the scenic area will offer performances of flash mobs and a hot pot feast, where the builders and laborers from different roles and areas will sing the songs for workers with travelers.

The first payment facilitation demonstration attraction in Chongqing started operation in the Fengdu Mingshan Tourist Area before the May Day holiday. ‘Payment facilitation’ services, including the acceptance of foreign bank cards and mobile payment, aim to provide foreign travelers with an easy and comfortable travel experience in China. Besides, the demonstration attraction has launched green channels for the seniors, improved the service environment for them, and offered escort services.

After the sale of train tickets starts, tourists will experience the peak of air ticket booking. Qunar.com shows that 15 days before the May Day holiday, the air tickets booked for the holiday exceeded the number in the same period in 2023. The average price of tickets for flights departing big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Tianjin to tourist cities is relatively high, and some flights on popular routes such as Beijing-Chengdu and Shanghai-Kunming are now sold at full price. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)