China expects 265 mln passenger trips during May Day holiday

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- About 265 million domestic trips are estimated to be made by Chinese passengers during the upcoming five-day May Day holiday from May 1 to 5, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

The estimated figure represents an increase of 120.1 percent year on year, close to the 2019 level, the MOT said.

Departure passenger flows are expected to peak on the first day of the holiday with about 57.9 million passenger trips, up 115 percent and 6 percent from the 2020 level and 2019 level, respectively, MOT data showed.

Between April 29 and May 6, railway passenger trips are expected to reach 106 million, up 0.8 percent compared with the same period in 2019, said China State Railway Group Co. Ltd. (China Railway), estimating that the railway passenger trips will peak on May 1 to reach 17 million.

A total of 36 direct tourist trains to popular destinations including northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and northeast China will be arranged during the holiday, and panda-themed tourist trains will take visitors to tourist cities such as Golmud and Dunhuang.

May Day, also known as Labor Day, is observed on May 1 in China.