China's version of Valentine's Day, which was held Tuesday, significantly boosted the country's domestic tourism and hospitality industries. Data released by travel agencies and hotels showed an uptick in bookings over the past couple of days as locals planned for out-of-town trips.
Online agency Ctrip said demand for travel during China's Qixi Festival was significantly higher compared with previous years. The company said people were more eager to travel after being cooped up at home. The increase in demand over the weekend pushed airfares up by around 17 percent compared with the same time last year.
Qunar, another travel company in China, said couples unable to celebrate Valentine's Day in February as a result of the emerging coronavirus crisis made sure they booked early for the Qixi Festival. The company said it had seen an increase in domestic travel bookings leading up to the festival - most of which were for romantic tours to China getaway spots.
China's Qixi Festival originated from a 2,000-year-old legend involving two lovers. The festival falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of China's lunar calendar - which is why it is sometimes referred to as the Double Seventh Festival.
According to online travel agency Tongcheng-Elong, the southwestern municipality of Chongqing was among the most popular destinations for this year's festival. The megacity is home to some of China's most popular attractions - including the Great Hall of the People, the country's first underwater museum, amusement parks and several nature parks. Other popular destinations were Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
As well as domestic air travel, hotel bookings during the festival also increased. Qunar said hotel reservations rose by about 40 percent across the country compared with the week before. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s online travel agency Fliggy reported a 34 percent year-on-year increase in hotel reservations nationwide. Big hotels and locally operated establishments and restaurants also got a much-needed boost earlier in the week as young couples toured various destinations around the country.
