(Yicai Global) May 5 -- China's domestic tourism revenue slumped by 43 percent year-on-year during the recent May Day holiday period as recovery was put on hold amid new Covid-19 outbreaks.

Tourism revenue dropped to CNY64.68 billion (USD9.8 billion) from April 30 to May 4, according to data the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released yesterday.

Tourists made 160 million trips, down 30 percent from the same period of last year. The volume was almost 67 percent of that logged before the pandemic.

The sector's recovery has taken a step back amid new outbreaks. During the May Day holiday of last year, some 230 million domestic trips were made, more than doubling from a year ago. Tourism revenue jumped twofold to CNY113.23 billion (USD17.1 billion).

Travelers had fewer places to visit. Nearly 8,720 class-A scenic spots were open, or 61 percent of the total. Some tourist spots that used to be very popular, including Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan province and West Lake in Hangzhou, logged significant declines in traffic. The average occupancy rate of hotels in southern China's beach destination Sanya dropped more than 60 percentage points to 20.6 percent.

The pandemic has changed travelers' preferences. Tourists prefer rural destinations with family activities such as picking fruit, barbecuing, or going for a picnic. Evidently, prices of suburban guesthouses and bed and breakfasts are rising steadily, according to the ministry.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi