Certainly one of China’s two nice vacation seasons is underway, as hundreds of thousands of Chinese language put together to journey for Lunar New 12 months. However China’s meteorologists are nervous that bad winter weather might put a dampener on vacation travels this yr. On Tuesday, the China Meteorological Administration warned that widespread rain, snow and freezing climate might hit central and jap China till Feb. 5.
The blizzard would hit throughout “chunyun,” or the Lunar New 12 months journey rush. Tens of millions return to their hometown to rejoice the beginning of a brand new lunar yr in what’s also known as the world’s largest annual migration. (Whereas this yr’s Lunar New 12 months falls on Feb. 10, journey can begin as early as two weeks beforehand)
Wintry climate has hit the Lunar New 12 months vacation earlier than. In 2008, winter storms brought on blackouts throughout many cities in China, disrupting journey providers and stranding hundreds of thousands throughout the Lunar New 12 months interval. Economists estimate the unhealthy climate led to a direct economic loss of $22.3 billion.
Whereas climate authorities don’t assume this yr can be fairly as unhealthy as 2008, officers nonetheless warned vacationers to anticipate delays on public transport.
Financial chills
This yr’s Lunar New 12 months celebrations would be the nation’s second with out COVID restrictions for the reason that pandemic. But final yr’s journey season was marred by a surge of COVID circumstances, with well being officers even encouraging potential travelers to remain house and keep away from bringing the illness with them.
China’s transport ministry forecasts a record high of 9 billion journeys for this yr’s journey season.
A disrupted Lunar New 12 months might deny a lift to the stumbling Chinese language economic system. Shoppers appear to be unwilling to spend as freely as they did earlier than the pandemic, with journey throughout the Nationwide Day Golden Week vacation final October coming in below official expectations.
There may be some restoration: Home tourism income reached pre-pandemic ranges by the tip of 2023. Information from Fliggy, an Alibaba-owned journey platform, stories a five-times enhance in bookings for Shanghai and a six-times enhance in bookings to Beijing, in comparison with the earlier Lunar New 12 months season.
