Travel boom assists economic revival

China's red-hot tourism sector outstripped industry expectations over the May Day holiday — a five-day break starting on Saturday, with enthusiastic travelers overwhelming some lesser-known destinations and crowding old favorites.

The fulfillment of people's long-suppressed desire to travel, earlier stymied due to COVID-19 outbreaks, has injected new impetus into the rapid revival of the nation's economy.

A total of 274 million visits were made during the holiday, up 70.83 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday. The figure is an increase of more than 19 percent for the same period in 2019. This year's visits generated revenue of around 148 billion yuan ($21.4 billion), up 128.9 percent year-on-year, the ministry said.