Train tickets on several popular routes in China from the big cities to getaway destinations over the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday sold out soon after they went on sale, indicating that tourism in the country is bouncing back.
Tickets on a number of sought-after routes, such as Shanghai to scenic Hangzhou and Shanghai to the coastal city of Qingdao, for the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival on June 22 sold out within minutes of becoming available, according to online travel agency Qunar.
There has also been a big jump in air ticket bookings. On June 6 air ticket sales over the three-day break, which lasts from June 22 to June 24, soared 57% from the week before to more than 1.4 million, according to industry data app Umetrip.
Prices are now cheaper than what they were during the five-day Labor Day holiday in May. The average price of an air ticket on domestic routes has tumbled 20% during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday from over the Labor Day break to RMB 985 (USD 138), according to Umetrip data. And that for a return trip to and from an overseas destination has slumped 8% to RMB 3,753 (USD 527) a ticket.
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