Chongqing - China released ten new measures to adjust and optimize the COVID-19 response, which have given the city tourism market a shot in the arm, including Chongqing, a megacity in the southwestern region.

The night view of Chongqing. (Photo/ Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development)

Data from the travel portal Qunar.com showed that the search for airline tickets surged seven times after the ten new measures were announced, while the search for railway tickets jumped five times. Both statistics place Chongqing among the top five destinations.

According to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, as of December 13, a total of 188 of Chongqing's 276 A-level scenic spots had reopened. Passenger flow is gradually rebounding as Chongqing's A-level scenic spots resume cultural creation and catering business. For an instance, there have been increasingly more stores opening in Hongya Cave, a popular photo spot in Chongqing's Yuzhong District. Currently, the daily passenger flow is around 2,000.

Routes have been restarted one by one as passenger traffic has gradually recovered. Sichuan Airlines resumed 45 flights from Chongqing to Jinan, Tianjin, Xining, and other cities this week as of December 13. It will offer flights to more than 50 domestic locations from Chongqing in the second half of this month.

On November 3, Air China's CA439 Chongqing direct flight to Seoul officially resumed. This is the first international passenger route to reopen in Chongqing since this year's winter and spring seasons. Jiangbei Airport has so far started a brand-new flight to Madrid and restarted previous services to Rome, Bangkok, Vientiane, Seoul, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Budapest.

"With the gradual recovery of international passenger routes, international economic and commercial exchanges, as well as people-to-people and cultural contacts, would grow," said Deng Lanyan, director of the Scientific Research Division of the Chongqing Comprehensive Economic Research Institute.

The cities that are now restarting international passenger services are all important for Chongqing's overseas tourist and economic exchanges. People-to-people and cultural interactions such as hotels and restaurants, tourism and entertainment, meetings and exhibits, sporting activities, and education and training will rise as passenger flow increases.

The sun has moved across the sky at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, creating a dramatic sunset image. (Photo by Hu Xingbo / Visual Chongqing)

Travel organizations predict a robust tourism recovery during the Spring Festival vacation in late January, thanks to the government's ongoing optimization of COVID-19 control measures.

Shen Jiani, a senior researcher at the Strategic Research Center of Ctrip Research Institute, predicts that the tourism market will see two significant travel peaks: New Year's Day and the Spring Festival. This season is expected to be one of the most crucial turning points in the tourism industry in the last three years.

"In the near future, tours of the surrounding areas and trips by car will likely increase. A surge in reservations is expected for long-distance travel products, such as family tours and customized trips," said the product manager of Tuniu Travel.com.

"Travel is crucial as a means of communication between peoples and nations, as well as a source of life satisfaction. The tourist sector is recovering and will continue to grow in the long run, unaffected by short-term ups and downs," said Liang Jianzhang, chairman of the board of directors of Ctrip Group.