7 million Chinese travel abroad to 'escape' Lunar New Year

Many Chinese people are gradually changing their view of celebrating Tet at home by traveling to neighboring countries.

(Photo: Flickr)

About 400 million Chinese people will travel domestically to celebrate the Lunar New Year, while 7 million will celebrate the new year abroad.

The figures were released by Xinhua, according to a report by online travel agency Ctrip. To date, Ctrip said people from 100 cities in China have booked flights to nearly 500 destinations in more than 90 countries.

The most popular international destinations include neighboring countries such as Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore.

Travel and tourism companies in Asian countries, from Thailand to Japan, predict that the number of Chinese visitors during Tet will increase dramatically compared to last year.

Due to trade tensions with the United States and a slowing economy, this year Chinese tourists are choosing more affordable and closer-to-home vacation destinations instead of going to distant and expensive European countries.

According to Du Ge, director of a tour company, the number of people taking Tet holidays in New Zealand and Australia this year is only one-third of that of 3-4 years ago.

(Photo: Bloomberg)

In contrast, Asian countries are increasingly being chosen as more cost-effective tourist destinations amid China's economic crisis and slowest growth rate in nearly three decades.

He Yanping, 26, who lives and works in Beijing, said she will spend 11 days in Malaysia, with an estimated cost of only 8,000 to 10,000 yuan (US$1,200 to US$1,400). “I really want to go to Australia, but it’s too far and too expensive,” she said.

Celebrating the Lunar New Year abroad is now a popular trend in China. Family reunions in hometowns are increasingly being replaced by sightseeing trips at home and abroad.