China has just wrapped up a week of national holidays. And this year, more Chinese travelers went overseas for their vacations.
China has two annual breaks. The Spring Festival celebrates the Lunar New Year, and that's when millions return to their hometowns for family reunions.
National Day is the center of the so-called “Golden Week” of October holidays, which this year meant domestic and international travel.
Reuters reported that Alibaba's online travel site saw international hotel bookings jump 120% from the pre-pandemic days of 2019.
State-run China Daily said bookings for international flights had already doubled last year's levels by the middle of September.
Malaysia, South Korea and Japan all made the list of popular destinations.
The most popular was Thailand, which eased visa restrictions for Chinese travelers earlier this year.
But the prospect of international travel is not for everyone in China.
This week, the Financial Times reports that Chinese officials are “demanding that a growing number of school teachers and other public sector employees” turn in their passports to local government officials, who will then decide who is allowed to travel abroad.
