Travelers check in at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on December 12, 2022, after China eased domestic travel restrictions.
Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
BEIJING – Now that China is about to reopen its borders, locals are rushing to plan their overseas trips for the Lunar New Year in late January, based on Trip.com Group.
Within half an hour of China’s policy change being announced, searches for overseas travel surged to a three-year high, a travel booking company said.
The company said Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the United Kingdom were among the many top 10 non-continent destinations with the fastest-growing searches. Also on the list were Macau and Hong Kong, which didn’t include any countries on the European continent.
China’s National Health Commission announced late Monday that from January 8, incoming travelers will now not should quarantine upon arrival within the mainland, ending an almost three-year policy.
Authorities also said they’d allow Chinese nationals to resume travel, without giving details of a timing or process.
During the pandemic, Beijing prevented Chinese residents from obtaining passports or leaving the country unless that they had a transparent reason, normally business.
The Lunar New Year, also referred to as the Spring Festival, is considered one of the largest public holidays in China. In 2023, the vacation lasts from January 21 to 27.
