A total of nine billion passenger trips are expected to be made during China's upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, with the number of self-driving trips expected to hit a record level, according to a press conference held by State Council Information Office in Beijing on Wednesday.
The travel rush, also known as "Chunyun," is a period of high transportation demand coinciding with China's largest annual holiday, the Spring Festival, a time where many people head home for family reunions and to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 29 this year.
Officials confirmed the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush will last from Jan 14 to Feb 22, totaling 40 days, and said that according to estimations by transport departments, the total cross-regional flow of people during this period will reach 9 billion.
Among these, railway and aviation passenger trips are expected to exceed 510 million and 90 million respectively, marking a record high, according to the projections.
Meanwhile, the biggest share of travel is expected to be made up by private vehicle owners, with self-driving trips likely to account for around 80 percent of all trips, some totaling 7.2 billion. The daily peak traffic flow on highways across the country may also set a new historical record, according to the press conference.
Over 9 bln trips expected during upcoming Spring Festival travel rush
Starting from Jan 1, "Beijing Service," a service platform backed by the Beijing municipal government, extended its coverage to the city's two international airports, setting up 24-hour kiosks to facilitate visitors from abroad.
On the first day of 2025, two Beijing Service kiosks near the international arrivals areas of Beijing's Capital International Airport and Daxing International Airport were put into use, with well-trained staff providing 24-hour multilingual services for global travelers.
"This year we have set up service stations in Beijing's Capital International Airport and Daxing International Airport to provide travelers with one-stop services including payment setup, mobile phone services, and transport and tourism consultation, covering four categories of more than 20 convenient services. The services aim to further facilitate foreigners to study, travel, or live in Beijing, and to upgrade the level of Beijing's international services," said Zhang Li, division chief of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services and Data Management.
The move came after the city's recent poll with international visitors on what could be done to improve their experience in China, aiming to better support the surging global visitors brought by the country's visa-free policies.
The Beijing Service platform can now provide a one-stop solution to newcomers, and address most of the common concerns of foreign travelers.
"So far, I haven't had any problems, and it seems quite straightforward and it's easy to follow the instructions, everyone gives clear instructions, so it's quite easy to follow. So far everyone I have talked to is able to give feedback (on) what I needed, so it's been good," said Rahima Siddiqui, a traveler from New Zealand.
Beijing Service platform offers one-stop solutions to int'l visitors
