Analysis: Chinese Tourists Reluctant to Spend Big Over Labor Day Break

Overall spending surged beyond pre-pandemic levels during China’s recent Labor Day holiday, but per capita spending remained lackluster as the country’s uneven economic recovery encouraged tourists to take cheaper trips to less well-known destinations.

Travelers made 295 million trips inside the Chinese mainland during the five-day national holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6% year-on-year and a 28.2% jump from the same period in 2019, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In total, they spent nearly 166.9 billion yuan ($23.5 billion), up 12.7% on the year and a 13.5% increase from 2019.