(VOVWORLD) - China is expected to have 9 billion passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush this year, setting a new record for the biggest annual human migration on earth.
 China is expected to have 9 billion passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush 2024. (Photo: Xinhua) |
Li Yang, Deputy Minister of Transport, said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday that 80% of the trips will be made by car.
“This year passenger flow will reach a record high, which can be seen in two aspects. On one hand, there will be 7.2 billion self-driving trips. On the other hand, the number of commercial passengers using railway, highway, waterway, and civil aviation will reach 1.8 billion. The total will be 9 billion people,” said Li Yang.
The Spring Festival travel rush, usually a period of high transportation demand as people return home for family reunions at the traditional Lunar New Year in Spring, will last from January 26 to March 5 this year.
The China State Railway Group warned that the travel demand of tourists, migrant workers, and students will increase significantly.
This will be 38% above last year and 18% above 2019, the year before the pandemic.
China's railways are expected to transport 480 million people. The aviation sector will likely serve 80 million passengers, up 45% from last year and 10% above 2019.