China's May Holidays Bring Tourist Boom Despite Pandemic

China's most popular attractions are being mobbed by domestic tourists during the Labor Day holiday, with over 240 million holidaymakers expected to travel within or outside mainland China, an increase of more than 20% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The boom in tourism is likely to boost the Chinese economy, which is struggling to recover after the country abruptly ended its self-imposed Covid isolation late last year. However, there have been complaints of scalping and unscrupulous practices by bed-and-breakfasts, prompting warnings from state media and provincial law enforcement authorities.