Travelers check in at Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport in on Dec. 12, 2022, after China relaxed domestic travel restrictions.
Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
BEIJING — Now that China is about to reopen its borders, locals are rushing to plan overseas travel for the Lunar Latest Yr in late January, in response to Trip.com Group.
Inside half an hour of China’s announced policy change, searches for travel abroad surged to a three-year high, the travel booking company said.
Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the U.S., Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the U.K. made the list of top 10 destinations outside the mainland with the fastest-growing search volume, the corporate said. Macao and Hong Kong also made the list, which didn’t include any countries on the European continent.
China’s National Health Commission announced late Monday that starting Jan. 8, inbound travelers would now not have to quarantine upon arrival on the mainland, ending a policy of nearly three years.
Authorities also said they might allow Chinese residents to resume travel, without providing details on timing or process.
Throughout the pandemic, Beijing prevented Chinese residents from getting passports or leaving the country unless they’d a transparent reason, typically for business.
The Lunar Latest Yr, also referred to as the Spring Festival, is one in all the largest public holidays in China. In 2023, the vacation runs from Jan. 21 to 27.
