- By Stephen McDonell
- China correspondent
With the Chinese economy facing massive challenges, there have been concerns over its growth potential, at least in the immediate future.
Yet a key exception is emerging in the form of domestic tourism.
Last week’s five-day public holiday to mark labour day saw 295 million trips made within China, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This was 28% higher than pre-pandemic figures recorded in 2019.
The Transport Ministry’s figures are also staggering: 92 million rail trips; almost 10 million air trips and 1.25 billion highway journeys.
However, this comes as international arrivals continue to lag, with foreigners currently entering China at barely 30% of 2019 levels. Why the disparity?
The beautiful historical river town of Wuzhen, a short…