Zibo drew attention in March thanks to good reviews from a group of students who went back to the city to reminisce about the food and their positive experience while in quarantine there in 2022, according to the People’s Daily. The fact that these consumers are willing to travel to another city shows “even the money-conscious group is willing to start spending on experiences,” said BI’s Li. She said she plans a “special forces” style holiday, using a popular term that describes a short trip with a packed itinerary to minimise costs. “This is my first trip since the end of Covid,” said college student Chris Wu, who is planning to only spend 1,200 yuan (RM776) during her Labour Day getaway in Zibo and can’t afford to go abroad. Travelling to Zibo makes sense for many young people, who are hankering for cheap eats and the chance to hang out with friends after three years of social isolation and economic stress. It takes longer for their demand to recover.” “Lower income groups, who would have been affected the most by pandemic and unemployment, are typically more cost-conscious as they have less disposable income. “There’s a divergence in the speed of consumption recovery,” said Ada Li, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Searches for domestic hotels for the Labour Day holiday are up almost 200% from 2019, while those for overseas destinations have only recovered to around 70% of pre-Covid levels, according to data from online booking site. That’s especially true for younger people who are facing historically high unemployment rates, while overseas travel remains out of reach for many given high ticket prices. It’s best symbolised by the city’s barbecue skewer meals, where US$10 (RM45) can buy roughly 35 meat skewers.Īs China quickly reopens after finally dropping its virus restrictions, scenes like those in Zibo demonstrate how despite high hopes for the economy to bounce back immediately, the financial hit from three years of zero-Covid is still keeping a lid on residents’ spending power. Tourists, particularly young ones, are flocking to Zibo not for any famous scenic spots or historical sites, but for its promise of a low-cost, value-for-money experience. Local authorities advised people last Wednesday to avoid visiting the city during the holiday, warning it may struggle with the sudden influx and hotels are almost completely booked up. When train tickets for the holiday period went on sale earlier this month, the Beijing-Zibo route sold out in under a minute, according to domestic media. The city of 4.7 million is now one of the hottest tourism destinations in China, with the highest hotel room occupancy rates in the entire nation for the five-day Labour Day vacation starting April 29, according to data from leisure booking app Meituan. Its biggest claim to fame is a visit by then FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2004, who proclaimed the city the birthplace of soccer based on tenuous links to an ancient ball game. BEIJING: Zibo, in eastern Shandong province, looks just like any other industrial town in China, home to petrochemicals, textiles and porcelain factories.
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