Highlights of China's New Year holiday consumption boom
China saw a boom in the consumer market during the New Year holiday, marked by bustling tourist attractions and record box office earnings, indicating a solid start for the country's economic recovery in 2024. The total revenue of the country's tourism market surpassed 11.2 billion U.S. dollars in three days, tripling that of the holiday season last year and increasing 5.6 percent from 2019.
China's international flights to recover 80% in 2024 (in Chinese)
China's civil aviation authority CAAC projected that the nation will see its international flights recover to about 80% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024. In 2023, international passenger flights in China increased from less than 500 weekly at the beginning of the year to over 4600, a 9.6-fold increase. Flights between China and Europe have recovered to over 60% of pre-pandemic levels. Regular direct flights between China and the US have increased to 63 per week, but that's only a bit more than 10% of pre-pandemic levels (600 flights in 2019).
Chinese provinces warn of thick fog, dozens of Shanghai flights delayed
Extremely heavy fog in several Chinese provinces on Thursday led to dangerously low visibility, closing highways, delaying flights out of Shanghai and prompting weather forecasters to release a string of warnings and advisories. Dense fog affected Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces with visibility below 200 m (656 ft) while some parts of southern Jiangsu and southern Anhui had visibility below 50 m, China's National Meteorological Centre said.
Accor, Trip.com help Chinese travelers reduce carbon impact during their hotel stays
Accor has teamed up with Trip.com to introduce a new feature in Trip.com's online booking app that allows travelers to make an eco-friendly choice while booking their stays. The French hotelier said it was the first international hotel group to stop actively providing "six bathroom amenities" in hotel guestrooms across the Greater China region.
Cathay Pacific in market for new mid-sized widebody planes
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways said on Thursday it was evaluating options for new orders of mid-sized widebody aircraft, after a recent run of purchases to renew its fleet. Bloomberg on Wednesday reported Cathay had issued a so-called request for information from Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) for new aircraft to replace some of its older mid-sized widebody jets, representing the first step in a possible purchase process.
Cambodia Airways to launch Chongqing flights on January 6
Cambodia Airways will launch Phnom Penh to Chongqing flights on Saturday (January 6), in a move that will enhance trade links with China besides boosting tourist arrivals from the country. With this, the number of cities connected by Cambodia Airways in China will go up to nine. Other Chinese cities connected by the airline with Cambodia are Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Macau, Sanya, Jinan, Jieyang and Haikou.
Bahrain targets China's tourism market
With the upcoming opening of direct flights between Bahrain and China, a new chapter in tourism is expected to unfold. The launch of Gulf Air’s routes to Shanghai and Guangzhou in January 2024 marks a strategic move by the island nation, aiming to tap into the vast potential of the Chinese tourism market.
