Chinese adapt to reservation-based scenic spot visits amid coronavirus battle

BEIJING -- Chinese are getting used to the idea of "no visits without reservations" for visiting scenic spots amid the battle against coronavirus epidemic, a Ministry of Culture and Tourism official said Friday.

Wang Xiaofeng told a press conference that the May Day holiday from May 1 to 5, which was the first major holiday in China since the epidemic, saw the nationwide application of reservation-based visits to scenic spots.

More than 80 percent of the country's scenic sites with 5A ratings required prospective visitors to make reservations via official websites, Wechat accounts or third-party platforms during the holiday, Wang said.

Promoted as part of epidemic control measures, this move has helped scenic spots in adjusting tourist flows and bringing tourists enhanced visit comfort, he said.

During the five-day holiday, China saw a strong recovery in its tourism market and received 115 million domestic tourists, Wang said.