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☆ Turkish film festival canceled after censorship controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Aimee Look | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —One of Turkey’s most prestigious film festivals was canceled Friday after a political documentary provoked the ire of the government. The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, in its 60th year, was due to be held in Antalya, on the Turkish riviera, from October 7 to 14. The documentary film “Kanun Hukmu” (or “The Decree”) was first removed from its schedule last week. A screening of the documentary film "Kanun Hukmu" was canceled, then reinstated — and then canceled again. After this, the festival removed the film once again and then finally canceled the entire event.

Persons: Nejla Demirci, —, Ahmet Boyacıoglu, ”, “, filmgoers, Muhittin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan Organizations: CNN, Antalya Golden Orange Film, Twitter, Hurriyet Daily, Tourism Ministry of, Hurriyet, Antalya Golden Orange Locations: Antalya, Turkey, Tourism Ministry of Turkey, Antalya’s

☆ China PMI, bumper 'Golden Week' travel give glimmers of hope for economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

PMI data released by Caixin Media and S&P Global showed both manufacturing and services losing some momentum. “We see increasing evidence of a near-term growth stabilization,” Nomura analysts said in a research note on Saturday, thanks partly to the raft of policy measures unveiled since late July, they added. While domestic travel for the Golden Week holiday appears strong, Chinese consumers are leaving the mainland in fewer numbers. Preliminary statistics from ForwardKeys, a global travel data provider, last week showed that Chinese travel within Asia was down 33% on pre-pandemic levels. On the first day of the Golden Week holiday, the number of mainland Chinese tourists entering Hong Kong was still less than half of 2018’s level, the city’s government said over the weekend.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Stringer, “, ” Nomura, Julie Kozack, Xu Jiayin, Xu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Caixin Media, P Global, Getty, China State Railway Group, Ministry, Transport, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, NBS, ” Citi, International Monetary Fund, Bank, Golden, Evergrande Group Locations: Hong Kong, Nantong, China's Jiangsu, AFP, China, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, Beijing, Asia

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s oldest film festival has been canceled amid controversy surrounding a politically sensitive documentary about the aftermath of a 2016 coup attempt. “Due to the mess created by their own hand,” the festival administration, artistic director and the entire artistic team were fired, he said. The documetary's director Nejla Demirci wrote on X Friday evening: “I am saddened to see, day by day, how negative attitudes have organized against a documentary film. Organizers had said they would remove “The Decree” from the film festival program. Festival director Ahmet Boyacioglu initially announced the film was removed from the national documentary category due to ongoing legal proceedings against one of the people featured.

Persons: Muhittin Bocek, ”, Fethullah Gulen, Gulen, “, Critics, terminations, Nejla Demirci, Ahmet Boyacioglu Organizations: —, Antalya, Orange, Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, Culture Ministry, Turkish, U.S, Wednesday Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish Culture, Turkey, Antalya

[1/3] Tourists rest on the Bund ahead of the National Day holiday, in Shanghai, China September 26, 2023. China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day from Friday to Oct. 6 in the longest public holiday this year. The China Tourism Academy, part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, estimates people will make more than 100 million trips a day during "the most popular Golden Week in history". In 2019, mainland Chinese tourists spent $255 billion abroad, more than any other nationality, with group tours estimated to account for roughly 60% of that total. ($1 = 7.3030 Chinese yuan renminbi)Additional reporting by Wang Tao in Singapore; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, It's, Joe Zhang, I'm, haven't, Boon Sian Chai, Boon, Cao, Nancy Dai, Zhou Weihong, Wang Zheng, Wang Tao, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Bund, REUTERS, Rights, China Tourism Academy, Ministry of Culture, Trip.com, Spring, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Beijing, Japan, Tourism, Anqing, Anhui, South Korea, United States, ForwardKeys, Thailand, Singapore

CNN —Water levels at Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world and South America’s largest – are dropping precipitously after an unprecedented winter heat wave. While water levels are known to fluctuate each year, these changes have become more extreme due to the climate crisis. Communities that rely on fishing are struggling as low water levels adds to mounting problems: declining fish stocks due to pollution and overfishing. “It’s going to keep affecting us, there won’t be any more totora, the islands are deteriorating, that’s what worries us,” Charca told CNN. Grinia Avalos, deputy director for climatology with Senamhi, told CNN that these warmer temperatures are expected to continue until at least February 2024.

Persons: ”, Nazario Charca, Anton Petrus, Taylor Ward, Sixto Flores, Raldes, Flores, Claudia Morales, Jullian Huattamarca, Juan Karita, Dina Boluarte, Huattamarca, “, Uros, Sergi Reboredo, Charca, It’s, ” Charca, El, Grinia Avalos, Connor Baker Organizations: CNN, Getty, Reuters, El Nino, Crisis, “ Locations: South America’s, Peru, Bolivia, Puno, AFP, Agriculture, Taquile, Peruvian, Lake Titicaca, South America

☆ Here's what the U.S. hopes China will do after Raimondo's trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has left Beijing with a few deliverables: plans for formal discussions on export controls and tourism. In her two days in Beijing, Raimondo met with Premier Li Qiang, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping. Here's what they agreed to do, according to public announcements:Establish a commercial issues working group between the commerce departments — meet twice a year at the vice minister level, and once at the minister level. Launch export control enforcement information exchange — first in-person meeting held at the assistant secretary level at the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing on Tuesday. He noted that in his first 15 months in China as ambassador, there were no U.S. discussions at a senior level with Chinese officials.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, Li Qiang, Wang Wentao, Hu, Wang, China Nicholas Burns Organizations: Commerce, of, People, BEIJING — U.S . Commerce, Culture, —, Ministry of Commerce, U.S . Tourism Leadership, U.S Locations: Beijing, BEIJING — U.S, Shanghai, U.S, China

☆ US isn’t trying to hold China’s economy back, says Commerce Secretary Raimondo
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —The United States is not seeking to decouple from China’s economy or hold it back, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told senior Chinese economic officials Tuesday in Beijing. Hours later, when she met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Raimondo emphasized that point. “A well-maintained economic and trade relationship is beneficial to both [our] countries and the whole world.”“We hope that commercial relationship can provide stability for the overall relationship,” Raimondo said in reply to Li. He said that he hoped the United States will work with China to “adopt rational and practical practices” and put the leaders’ recommendations into practice. On Monday, Raimondo said it was “profoundly important” that the US and China have a stable economic relationship.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, ” Raimondo, Lifeng, ”, Premier Li Qiang, Raimondo, “, Biden, Li, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Hu Heping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Premier, “, Culture and Tourism, Biden, United States Locations: Hong Kong, United States, Beijing, China, United, Bali

☆ China loosens its pandemic-era ban on citizens joining group tours abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —China has lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia, in a potential boon for their tourism industries. Prior to the pandemic, mainland Chinese tourists spent more than any other country’s tourists when abroad, clocking up a combined $255 billion in 2019 with group tours estimated to account for roughly 60% of that. Just how much outbound Chinese tourism will bounce back for the latest group of countries remains to be seen. “The opening of group travel from China to the U.S. is a significant milestone,” said Adam Burke, head of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. China has never publicly acknowledged limiting group tours to South Korea.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, –, Fumio Kishida, ”, Don Farrell, Steve Saxon, Adam Burke, “ Organizations: CNN, US Commerce Department, Japanese, Trade, Tourism, Weibo, McKinsey & Co, “, Los Angeles Tourism, Reuters Locations: China, United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Argentina, Nepal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Xinjiang, Los Angeles, U.S

Travellers walk past an installation in the shape of five stars, at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/file photoBEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China has lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia in a potential boon for their tourism industries. Just how much outbound Chinese tourism will bounce back for the latest group of countries remains to be seen. Shares in firms in the latest group of countries with large exposure to Chinese travel demand jumped on the news. China has never publicly acknowledged limiting group tours to South Korea.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Fumio Kishida, Don Farrell, Steve Saxon, Casey, Sophie Yu, Joyce Lee, Jamie Freed, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, Japanese, Trade, Tourism, Weibo, McKinsey & Co, South, Grand Korea, Reuters, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Britain, Canada, Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Argentina, Nepal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Xinjiang, South Korean, U.S, Shanghai, Seoul

☆ China lifts ban on group travel to more than 70 locations, giving a boost to travel stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China lifted a ban on group tours to more than 70 locations, giving travel and airline stocks in Asia a boost. China's culture and tourism ministry said Thursday that group tours will resume to over dozens of locations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and North America. South Korean airline and travel stocks saw the strongest reaction, with tour agency, airline and hotel stocks all surging. Travel agency Lotte Tour Development saw its shares spike more than 25%, while shares of luxury hotel operator Hotel Shilla surged 17%. South Korean airlines also saw gains, with Asiana Airlines climbing 7% and Korea Airlines advancing 3.1%.

Organizations: North America, Travel, Lotte Tour Development, Asiana Airlines, Korea Airlines Locations: Seoul, China, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Africa, North, Japan, South Korea, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Israel

☆ Pan Gongsheng: China's new central bank governor faces daunting tasks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has a new central bank governor. He replaced Yi Gang, who took office in March 2018, when China’s longest-serving central banker Zhou Xiaochuan stepped down after a 15-year tenure. He was previously a deputy governor of the PBOC and has served as head of China’s foreign exchange regulator since 2016, managing currency reserves worth $3.18 trillion. In China’s political system, the Communist Party boss is usually the top official in the relevant organization, be it a level of government or a public institution. In March, Beijing created a powerful financial watchdog run by the Communist Party, named the Central Financial Commission, as part of a broad reform of governing bodies to strengthen the party’s oversight of economic affairs.

Persons: Pan Gongsheng, Yi Gang, Zhou Xiaochuan, Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Ken Cheung, Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, People’s Bank of China, Communist Party, Renmin University of China, Cambridge University, Harvard University, Xinhua, Mizuho Bank, Central Financial Commission, Financial Regulatory Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ China's capital grapples with scorching summer heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Beijing’s temperature soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) again Thursday, as the Chinese capital grapples with what is shaping up to be one the most severe heat waves on record. China has been gripped by scorching heat waves for weeks, which authorities said had arrived earlier and been more widespread and extreme than in previous years. People shield themselves from the sun amid extreme heat on July 5, 2023 in Beijing. The persistent heat waves have put huge stress on the country’s power grids as demand for air-conditioning soared, with some local governments urging companies and residents to curb the usage of electricity. As the climate crisis intensifies, scientists say dangerous, record heat waves are set to become more frequent and more severe.

Persons: Tianyong Jia, heatstroke, Niño, El Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, heatstroke, China News Service, Beijing Daily, World Meteorological Organization, El Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Northern China, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, 17.18C

☆ China's northern cities brace for more torrid heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A man pulls a cart carrying jugs of water amid the orange alert for heatwave, at a hutong alley in Beijing, China July 5, 2023. The torrid heat has gripped China for several weeks, pushing local governments to ask residents and businesses to curb the usage of electricity. It is expected that the maximum temperature in most areas of the city will rise above 40 degrees Celsius, according to the state-backed Beijing Daily. The meteorological observatory in northern Hebei province also issued a red alert, with temperatures in some areas expected to reach 40-43 Celsius on Thursday. China's Meteorological bureau issued orange alerts, the second highest alert, in mostly northern China with temperatures expected to hit 40 degree Celsius and above.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Bernard Orr, Ella Cao, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Beijing Daily, China's Meteorological, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Hebei province, North China, Mongolia, Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Chongqing

☆ China Dragon Boat Festival tourism trips above pre-COVID levels -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People and children enjoy themselves by the lakeside at a park during the Dragon Boat festival holiday, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China June 4, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoBEIJING, June 25 (Reuters) - Trips for tourism in China during last week's three-day Dragon Boat Festival climbed 32.3% from a year earlier to an estimated 106 million, 12.8% above the pre-pandemic level in 2019, the ministry of culture and tourism said. Revenue from domestic tourism trips during the Dragon Boat Festival rose 44.5% on year to 37.31 billion yuan ($5.20 billion), recovering to 94.9% of the 2019 level, the tourism ministry said. The comparison between the 2023 and 2019 figures were made "according to comparable standards", the tourism ministry said on its website, without providing details about the metrics. The Dragon Boat Festival tourism rebound is smaller than that during the five-day May Day holiday, when domestic tourism trips surged 70.8% on year and were 19.1% above those of 2019，with revenues up 128.90% on year and on par with 2019, according to tourism ministry data last month.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Roxanne Liu, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, National Immigration Administration, NIA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau

☆ Chinese authorities focus on fire hazards following restaurant blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, June 23 (Reuters) - China's State Council Security Committee and municipal and provincial governments have held emergency video conferences and issued warnings about fire hazards and safety in the wake of a blast in China's northwest that killed 31 on Wednesday. Wednesday's explosion at a BBQ restaurant prompted President Xi Jinping to order a safety overhaul across China, calling on all regions to rectify safety risks. Following a hastily convened video conference on Thursday, Beijing mayor Yin Yong stressed that close attention should be paid to investigating and rectifying fire hazards. Beijing's municipal government, as well as the provincial governments of Sichuan, Guizhou and Hainan have all called attention to fire dangers and the safe handling of liquefied gas. Sichuan's Governor Huang Qiang said his province would immediately carry out an investigation and treatment of gas safety hazards.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Yin Yong, Huang Qiang, Casey Hall, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Security, China's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hainan

Videos posted on the young influencer’s account showing her running and weight-lifting were shared heavily on Chinese social media and also appeared in various state media outlets following her death late last month. State media outlets said that the influencer’s family had received “compensation” from the weight loss camp in Shaanxi, but did not say how much. In China, as in much of Asia and the rest of the world, social media is awash with unhealthy and unrealistic trends promoting extreme weight loss. One notorious recent social media trend in China involved women posing behind vertical sheets of printer paper to prove their waists were so thin they could not be seen either side. Zhou’s death has also increased scrutiny of the social media influencer industry more generally.

Persons: Cuihua, Zhou –, ”, Zhou’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China National Radio, CNN, China News Service, Television Administration, Ministry of Culture, Global, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, Asia, Tourism

[1/3] A person walks past a show venue of stand-up comedy company Xiaoguo Culture Media Co that has closed its business, in Beijing, China May 19, 2023. "Stand-up comedy has been the last bastion in which people ... can still enjoy entertaining commentary about public life," said Beijing-based independent political analyst Wu Qiang. "After this, the space for stand-up comedy and public expression in general will inevitably keep shrinking." China's comedy scene rose quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic as people spent more time indoors watching viral streamed comedy shows. The most popular were produced by Xiaoguo Culture Media Co, the firm at the centre of the current uproar.

☆ The joke that cost $2 million: China imposes huge fine for comedian’s army-themed quip
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As the official backlash grew, Li canceled all his performances while the entertainment company that represents him, Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media, issued an apology. He went on to say that their chase after a squirrel one day reminded him of eight words, before he unleashed the controversial punchline, according to audio posted to Chinese social media site Weibo. Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media is one of the biggest stand-up comedy show producers in the country. ‘Low form of art’Li had already apologized on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where he has 136,000 followers. Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media previously said it had suspended the comedian from all productions indefinitely.

☆ Chinese authorities slap comedy firm with $2 mln fine after military joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The incident has strongly divided the Chinese public over what sort of jokes are inappropriate as performances such as stand-up comedy become increasingly popular and also highlighted the limits of appropriate content in China where authorities say it must promote core socialist values. In response to the fine, Xiaoguo Culture blamed the incident on "major loopholes in management" and said it had terminated Li's contract. Reuters could not immediately reach Li for comment and Weibo appears to have banned him from posting to his account there. Founded in Shanghai in 2015, Xiaoguo Culture's popularity has grown in sync with China's embrace of stand-up comedy and had known for raising the profile of hundreds of local comedians. (This story has been refiled to add a dropped word in the headline and fix a typo in paragraph 1)($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's domestic travel recovery marred by anti-spending 'special forces'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. To get to the ancient temples, pagodas and grottoes she wanted to visit, she walked roughly 30,000 steps a day. "I can control the expenses, to go to many places for the least amount of money, but it is really tiring." "Maybe I didn't wear the right shoes, but my feet started to hurt after walking more than 10,000 steps," she said, joking that she exemplified "the battle-scarred version of special forces travel." ($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Lincoln Feast.

☆ No Joke: China Fines a Comedy Firm $2 Million for ‘Insulting’ the Military
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Chang Che | Olivia Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Beijing fined a Chinese comedy studio around $2 million on Wednesday for a joke that compared China’s military to stray dogs, a reminder of the ever-narrowing confines of expression under the country’s leader, Xi Jinping. The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau accused a popular comedian, Li Haoshi, who is employed by the studio, of “severely insulting” the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military, during two live performances in Beijing on Saturday. The authority said his joke had a “vile societal impact.”“We will not allow any company or individual to wantonly slander the glorious image of the People’s Liberation Army,” the statement read. The authority also said it indefinitely suspended all Beijing performances hosted by the studio, the Shanghai-based Xiaoguo Culture Media. Officials in Shanghai followed suit, suspending all Xiaoguo performances there and ordering the company to “deeply reflect” on the lessons from the incident, according to a government social media account.

☆ Hegra has been inhabited for 12,000 years -- but has only had tourists for four
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, increased investment in archeology from the Saudi government means that more and more information is coming out of Hegra and other Nabatean sites. I think they just get absorbed in the story of the growth of the Roman Empire.”"Hinat" greets travelers at the Hegra visitor's center. Now, travelers can see her in the Hegra visitors’ center. Expand your searchMany visitors combine their Hegra trip with visits to the smaller nearby historic sites of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah. Don’t miss the covered outdoor station near the Hegra visitor’s center, where you can practice using a small chisel to carve your name or initials into pieces of stone.

☆ China's holiday tourism rebound to pre-Covid levels boosts outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tourists from the Chinese mainland wait at the departure hall of Hong Kong West Kowloon Station on the last day of May Day holiday on May 3, 2023. China's tourism rebounded to pre-Covid-19 levels in the May Day holiday as the number of domestic trips rose by more than two-thirds from a year earlier, government data showed on Wednesday, a welcome boost for the world's second-biggest economy. During these trips, Chinese tourists spent 148 billion yuan ($21 billion), a 128.9% increase from a year earlier, and on a par with 2019 levels. The figures from this year's May Day holiday — the first travel season since the pandemic without restrictions — are being monitored as a gauge of China's economic health. Official data on Sunday showed activity in China's non-manufacturing sector grew in April, albeit at a slower pace than in March.

☆ China's May Day holiday spending exceeds pre-pandemic levels for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Holiday spending during China’s Golden Week has surged past pre-pandemic levels for the first time in three years, in a sign the country’s travelers have fully emerged from the depths of Covid-related restrictions and are eager to live large to make up for lost time. Alipay, the country’s biggest digital payment app, reported a 200% increase in online holiday spending from a year earlier. “The fact that domestic tourism spending is now back to 2019 levels suggests that the reopening boost to consumer spending has largely run its course,” said Capital Economics analysts in a Thursday report. “The swift recovery in in-person services has been the major driver of China’s post-Covid recovery this year,” they said. However, “the lackluster property recovery, a global slowdown and rising geopolitical conflict remain major challenges for China’s recovery to be sustained.”

During these trips, Chinese tourists spent 148 billion yuan ($21 billion), a 128.9% increase from a year earlier, and on a par with 2019 levels. The figures from this year's May Day holiday - the first travel season since the pandemic without restrictions - are being monitored as a gauge of China's economic health. Official data on Sunday showed activity in China's non-manufacturing sector grew in April, albeit at a slower pace than in March. The travel boom during the May holiday "can be seen as a turning point of China's tourism sector", official Xinhua News Agency said on Wednesday. The China Tourism Academy estimates about 4.55 billion domestic tourist trips will be made this year, up 73% from 2022, Xinhua reported.

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