China today begins the forty-day period in which its residents return to their homes for the Lunar New Year and in which a record number of trips are planned this year after the country emerges from the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, this period, known as ‘chunyun’ in Chinese, fell shortly after the lifting of ‘zero covid’ policy restrictions and when the country experienced the first major wave of the disease nationwide, which raised concerns about the transmission of the virus to rural areas. , with a weaker healthcare system.

The Chinese railway company plans to carry 480 million passengers this year, 37.9% more than the year before and 18% more than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

Chinese New Year 2024: These are the three foods that play the leading role in prosperity rituals

According to the Asian giant’s Ministry of Transport, a total of around 9 billion trips are expected during these 40 days, compared to the 1.6 billion trips recorded during the same days in 2023.

According to China’s Ministry of Transport, about 1.8 billion trips will be made by rail, road, air and water, while the remaining 7.2 billion are expected to be driverless.

Chinese New Year 2024: when does the year of the Dragon start and which animals will experience the most prosperity

According to the portfolio, 80% of these trips, around 7.2 billion, will be by private car, reflecting a trend towards independent tourism.

People queue for the train in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province, on January 26, 2024, the first day of the annual Lunar New Year travel period. Photo: AFP

Some 10.6 million train journeys are expected on this first day of ‘chunyun’ (spring transport, in Chinese), which will last until March 5.

Family gatherings

For many rural migrants in the country’s major cities, this is the only time of year when they can reunite with their families in their places of origin, and given China’s population of 1.4 billion, this is considered the largest human migration ever. annually in the world.

“There is a clear assurance of continued enthusiasm for travel during this period, which is also the most important season for the hospitality sector,” economic daily Shanghai Securities said in recent days.

A man takes photos of festival lanterns at a shopping mall in Beijing, China, January 25, 2024. The Chinese Lunar New Year, also called “Spring Festival”, falls on February 10, 2024 as the Year of the Dragon.
Photo: EFE

“The performance at this point in 2024 is expected to boost the market’s optimistic expectations for service consumption,” the paper said.

Although forecasts point to a recovery in the transport sector and after hospitality and hotels will contribute significantly to China’s GDP growth of 5.2% in 2023, these positive figures are considered “insufficient” to boost growth throughout the year , the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post reported. (JO)