Travel demand is rebounding in China as virus worry recedes

Reservations for domestic flights and hotels in China are recovering from a coronavirus-induced slump as people return to work across the nation, online travel company Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Ltd. said.

Hotel bookings in the week to March 1 surged 40% from the previous week, while peak daily bookings for domestic flights soared 230% from the lowest level recorded in February, the company said in a statement. Bookings for domestic flights in June jumped 250% in the last week of February from the previous week, indicating an improvement in consumer confidence, it said.

Some Chinese airlines are offering tickets at what are known colloquially as cabbage prices as they start restoring seat capacity following drastic cuts enforced by the coronavirus. OAG Aviation Worldwide said the country’s carriers are returning nearly 3 million seats into scheduled services this week, primarily for domestic routes.

“The overall hotel operating rate in major cities across the country is projected to reach 90% by the end of March,” Tongcheng-Elong said, citing data from its affiliate Beijing Zhuzher Information Technology. For airlines, “major sources of passengers were Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi and Henan, as people returned from those areas to their workplaces in coastal areas following the extended Spring Festival holiday period,” it said.