Here is where mainland Chinese traveled abroad for the Lunar New Year

BEIJING – Travelers from mainland China were stuck close to their homelands in Asia during the Lunar New Year, the first holiday after Beijing relaxed its Covid-related border controls.

Trip.com said Hong Kong and Macau were the most popular, citing flight bookings on its platform for the first four days of the Lunar New Year. The seven-day holiday began on Saturday.

Here are the next three most popular overseas destinations for mainland travelers, according to Trip.com:

3. Bangkok

4. Singapore

5. Phuket, Thailand

Flight bookings for travel from the mainland to overseas destinations during the first four days of the holiday quadrupled from last year, Trip.com He said.

In late December, Beijing announced that the beginning of January 8 Travelers will no longer need to be quarantined upon arrival on the mainland, and that Chinese citizens can begin to resume leisure travel abroad. The change ended nearly three years of border controls.

However, Japan and South Korea – Both are very popular among Chinese tourists – It subsequently imposed temporary restrictions on travelers from China, including visa restrictions and the imposition of quarantines on individuals infected with Covid-19.

Singapore no changes announced, While Thailand scrapped its plan to require international visitors to show proof of a Covid vaccination, just days after it was announced.

China has seen a wave of COVID infections after Beijing ended most domestic COVID controls in early December. A negative Covid test is still required for travel to the mainland.

In 2019, outbound Chinese tourists spent $54.7 billion on shopping, according to Euromonitor International.