BEIJING--Chinahasbaskedinafestivehustleandbustleaspeoplecelebratedthelunarnewyearoftherabbitwithstrongconsumersentiments.

Duringtheweek-longholiday,whichendedonFriday,salesrevenueofChina"sconsumption-relatedsectorsrose12.2percentfromlastyear"sSpringFestivalholiday,whichranfromJan31toFeb6,datafromtheStateTaxationAdministrationshowed.

Thefiguresawanaverageannualgrowthof12.4percentcomparedwiththeSpringFestivalholidayin2019,thepre-COVID-19period,accordingtothedata.

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ManypeoplereturnedtotheirhometownsforfamilyreunionsduringthefirstSpringFestivalholidayafterthecountryoptimizeditsanti-virusresponse,whileotherstooklong-awaitedtripsforleisure.Duringtheholiday,peoplealsoswarmedintocinemas,restaurants,anddifferenttypesoftouristattractions,satisfyingtheirpent-upconsumingdesire.

MOVIEGOERSAREBACK

China"scinemaswelcomedcrowdsofmoviegoerswithaclusterofhighlyanticipatedblockbustersonofferduringthisyear"sSpringFestivalholiday.Intheperiod,129millionticketsweresold,generatingawhoppingrevenueof6.76billionyuan(about$998.49million),up11.89percentfromthesameperiodof2022.

Theearningsmadethisyear"sholidaythesecondhighest-grossingtodate,sendingastrongsignaloftherobustrecoveryofChina"sculturalandtourismindustrythisspring.

RaoShuguang,presidentoftheChinaFilmCriticsAssociation,saidthemoviefrenzymadehimfeelthatChinesefilmswillbeoffto"anewstarttowardsabetterfuture"afterbeinghamperedbyCOVID-19foryears.

TRAVELERSHITTHEROAD

Likethezealformovies,demandsforleisuretravelloggedexplosivegrowthintheweek-longholiday.Some308milliondomestictripsweremadeintheperiod,up23.1percentfromtheSpringFestivalholidaylastyearandrecoveringto88.6percentofthesameholidayin2019,accordingtocalculationbytheMinistryofCultureandTourism.

Therevenueofdomestictourismhit375.8billionyuan,up30percentfromthesameperiodlastyearandresumingto73.1percentof2019.

DatafromonlinetravelagencyTrip.comGroupshowedthattourismreservationsforthisyear"sSpringFestivalholidayskyrocketedby4timesfromtheholidayperiodlastyear,withthenumberofbothdomesticandoutboundtripshittingnewhighsoverthepastthreeyears.

Comparedwiththeweek-longholidaylastyear,salesofticketsformajordomestictouristattractionsmorethanquadrupled,accordingtoTrip.com.Ordersofdomesticairticketsandtrainticketsrose40percentand80percent,respectively,andbookingsforinternationalairticketssoaredmorethan4times,datafromAlibaba"stravelbranchFliggyshowed.

Searchesfor"hotelreservations"ontheAlipayplatformsurged6timesthisyearcomparedwiththeholidaylastyear,andrelatedconsumptionrose80percent.Duringthefirstfourdaysoftheholiday,bookingsfordomestichotelsexceededthatintheSpringFestivalholidayof2019,datafromFliggyshowed.

Specifically,thenumberoflong-distancetoursloggedsteadygrowthduringthisyear"sholiday,withreservationsforlong-distancedomestictripsjumpingover500percent,accordingtoFliggy.

Averagetraveldistanceperpersonhasalsoincreasedby400kilometerscomparedwithlastyear,datafromtheonlinetravelserviceproviderQunarshowed.Thesignificantincreaseoflong-distancetouristsboostedChina"stouristmarketduringthisholiday,saidGuoLechun,vicepresidentofthebigdataresearchinstituteofthecompany.

"ThepopularityoftheSpringFestivaltourismisobvioustoall,"saidShenJiani,aseniorresearcherwiththeCtripResearchInstitute,"Takingthisasastartingpoint,webelievethattheconfidenceandpotentialofChina"stourismconsumptionwillbereleasedrapidly,andthemarketisexpectedtoembraceaconsiderablerecoverythisyear."

LONGQUEUESOUTSIDERESTAURANTS

CateringbusinessinChinaalsoembracedsteadyreboundintheweek-longholiday,triggeredbypeople"smountingenthusiasmfortravelingandfamilyreunions.

SearchesforrestaurantsservingthefeastontheSpringFestivaleve,onehighlightoccasionfeaturingafamilygatheringandsumptuousdishes,soaredover157percentcomparedwithlastyear,accordingtoDianping,theChineseversionofYelp.

"Ididn"tgohomeduringthefestivalinpastyears,"saidNana,whoworksinBeijing.Thisyear,shemadeareservationatarestaurantinherhometownasearlyasonemonthbeforetheholiday."I"dliketodineoutwithmyfamilyontheSpringFestivalevetowellcelebratethenewyear."

AccordingtoChina"se-commerceplatformMeituan,ordersofmulti-persondiningpackagesinChina"srestaurantsinthefirstsixdaysofthisholidayrose53percentfromthesameholidayperiodof2022.

Throughouttheweek-longholiday,hordesofpeoplecrowdedoutsiderestaurants,andsomehadtowaitforhoursatpopularrestaurants.

"Thenumberofourqueueingcustomershasreached3,000everyday,andourcrayfishsaleshavefarexceededthepre-epidemiclevel,"saidSunPing,generalmanagerofChangshaWenheyou,afamousrestaurantbrandinChangsha,centralChina"sHunanProvince.

SHOPPINGSPREE

Thestrongexpansionofdemandforvariousproductsandservicesalsoboostedtheretailmarketinthepastholidayperiod.Datafrome-commercegiantJD.comshowedthattheturnoveroflifeservicesjumped302percentfromthesameholidayperiodlastyear,andsalesofrabbit-themedjewelryrosemorethan10times.

Productslikegiftboxes,wintersportsequipment,semi-cookedfood,homeappliances,andhealthcareitemsalsoreportedrapidsalesgrowth,thedatashowed.

AnalystshaveunderlinedthevigorofChina"seconomyin2023,pinningtheirhopesontherobustrevivalofconsumptioninparticular.

China"sgrowthpotentialwasfurtherunleashedbyorderlyeasingofmobilityrestrictions,followedbyastrongreleaseofpent-updemandforconsumptionandservices,accordingtoareportrecentlyissuedbytheWorldBank.

WenBin,chiefeconomistwithChinaMinshengBank,saidthatwarmingdemandathomewillpropeltheturnaroundintheChineseeconomythisyear,andestimatedthecountry"sfull-yearGDPgrowthataround5.5percent.

AccordingtotheChasingInternationalEconomicInstitute,thepercapitaconsumptionexpenditureinChinaisexpectedtogrow8to12percentfromayearagoin2023,whiletotalretailsalesofconsumergoodswillexpand7to11percentyearonyear.

"WeexpectChina"seconomicgrowthin2023tobemuchhigherthanthepreviousyear,mainlydrivenbyconsumption,"saidRobinXing,chiefChinaeconomistwithMorganStanley.