The Plaza 66 shopping mall on Nanjing road in Shanghai resumed business on June 1. The flow of people has increased and there are long queues in front of some luxury stores. Photo: Chen Xia/GT

More than ten Chinese localities have moved to restart inter-provincial group tours, after the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) on Tuesday announced more targeted anti-epidemic measures in an effort to boost tourism, while preventing the spread of COVID-19 ahead of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday starting on Friday.

The resumption of inter-provincial group tours not reflects the country's success against recent COVID-19 outbreaks but is also of great significance to the country's intensifying efforts to stabilize the economy, experts noted.

Central China's Henan Province is one of the firsts to echo the new policy and announced to resume inter-provincial group tours, as the province is now a low-risk area for COVID-19 transmission, according to the province's culture and tourism department.

"With immediate effect, travel agencies and online tourism enterprises are allowed to resume inter-provincial group tours and 'air ticket plus hotel' business," read a statement issued by the department.

As of Wednesday afternoon, about a dozen of provinces and regions announced the resumption of inter-provincial group tours in addition to Henan, including Southwest China's Guizhou Province, Central China's Hunan Province, East China's Zhejiang Province, and South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Following the policy shift, inter-provincial tour orders accounted for nearly 40 percent of all high-speed rail trip orders for Friday - the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, up nearly 10 percent compared with the first day of the May Day holiday, reflecting the progressive release of long-distance travel demand, according to data sent to the Global Times by China's online travel booking platform Ctrip.com on Wednesday.

Even in Shanghai, as the city lifted its two-month lockdown on Wednesday, the metropolis also saw the rejuvenation of the tourism sector. The number of hotel bookings in Shanghai on Tuesday already increased by 1.5 times compared with the previous day, Qunar.com said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

In addition to allowing the resumption of inter-provincial group tours, some localities also announced support measures for the tourism sector, which is badly hit by COVID-19 outbreaks. 

People queue up for hours to buy drinks at a store in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on June 1, 2022. More cities see a vibrant consumer market as the Dragon Boat Festival holidays approach. Photo: VCG

East China's Shandong Province rolled out support measures to boost the recovery of the tourism industry, including plans to raise 30 million yuan ($4.49 million) to subsidize national A-grade scenic spots to offer ticket discounts over the following four months and to raise 80 million yuan to support rural tourism development. 

Shandong also encourages financial institutions to offer innovative services to lend at least 10 billion yuan to cultural and tourism enterprises in the province during the current calendar year.

Localities and scenic spots have also launched measures to attract tourists. Wuzhen's Xizha and Wucun scenic spots in Zhejiang reopened to tourists on Wednesday. While fully implementing epidemic prevention measures, it launched a series of special promotions, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by the Wuzhen Xizha scenic spot on Wednesday.

The MCT's targeted measure has enhanced confidence of localities to accelerate recovery of tourism, and the upcoming summer holiday is expected to further boost the recovery of the sector, said Xie Xiaoqing, a senior research fellow from the Ctrip Research Institute.

With daily new cases falling under 100 nationwide, the recent Omicron flare-ups have been brought under effective control, which is great news for the tourism industry, especially as the holiday is around the corner, Jiang Yiyi, deputy head of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism under the Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

More tailored and refined measures are expected to be rolled out to prevent the spread of the virus, while minimize its impact on economic activities, Jiang said, noting that more effective COVID-prevention methods and stabilization efforts will further boost the recovery of the cultural and tourism industries.

The recovery of the tourism sector will drive the growth of a swath of industries such as catering, lodging, and cultural events, Jiang said. "It is of great significance to boost domestic demand and invigorate the economy," she said.