China's flight bookings boom ahead of May Day holiday

(ECNS) -- As the May Day Holiday draws near, China’s domestic flight bookings has exceeded the same period in 2019, while the average ticket price has increased by 39 percent, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Domestic passenger throughput is predicted to hit 29.188 million tirps from April 27 to May 4, about 115 percent of the same period in 2019, according to CADAS data modeling. International/regional passenger throughput is predicted to reach 1.215 million, about 33 percent of the same period in 2019.

According to CADAS data, airfares for the upcoming holiday are higher than in the same period of 2019. It is expected that the average one-way domestic airfare (tax included) during the holiday will be about 1,095 yuan ($ 158.79 ), compared to about 788 yuan during the 2019 period, an average increase of 39 percent. The average one-way international/regional airfare (tax included) is about 1,910 yuan, remaining at a relatively high level.

The fastest recovery is seen in the flights between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, with flight capacity increasing from 18 percent to 36 percent compared to the same period.

The Executive Director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, Fanny Yeung, stated on Sunday that it is expected that around 600,000 tourists will visit Hong Kong during the May Day holiday period from April 29 to May 3, with independent travelers accounting for 80 percent of the total number. Passenger flow has recovered to 60 percent of the pre-epidemic level.

Flights to Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Canada have seen slower recovery, at 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

The rapid recovery of travel services, drop in air ticket prices, and abundant hotels have greatly contributed to the rapid recovery of the tourism industry.

According to the forecast of the China Air Transport Association, the demand for "compensatory tourism" in the domestic market in the second quarter of this year is now being transformed into actual consumption. The international passenger transport market will continue to recover.

It is predicted that the overall passenger flight volume in the second quarter will recover to over 98 percent of pre-epidemic levels, and the passenger transport volume will recover to around 85 percent.