China hoping for economic boost from 2.4 billion ‘golden week’ journeys

China’s transport authorities are expecting an increased number of journeys during the upcoming National Day holiday, which starts on Wednesday.

Deputy transport minister Li Yang, said on Sunday that the authorities expected around 2.4 billion journeys during the eight-day break, around 295 million travellers each day – a 3.2 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

The “golden week” holiday will begin on Wednesday, China’s National Day, and runs into the following week to include the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The eight-day holiday is one of the most important travel periods in China, and the expected increase in travel bookings is likely to provide a much-needed boost to the consumer economy.

Since Lunar New Year in 2023, China’s “inter-regional” travel statistics have included road traffic as well as the use of public transport. Last year’s seven-day holiday saw more than 2 billion journeys within China during golden week.

“Driving is the main method of transport for the public. We expect 1.87 billion people to travel by car during this holiday, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of total travel,” Li said.

Li said Wednesday was expected to be the busiest day, with more than 340 million journeys – a million more than this year’s Lunar New Year.