Roundup

GROWTH IN SPENDING

Consumer spending during the Lunar New Year holiday from Feb 11-18 surged nationwide, according to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce. The combined sales of retail and catering enterprises in China rose 28.7 percent year-on-year to 821 billion yuan ($127.5 billion) during the holiday, data from the ministry showed. Online catering sales rose 135 percent compared with the holiday last year as more Chinese people ordered ready-to-eat meals through e-commerce or online food delivery platforms.

THRIVING TOURISM

Beijing became a tourist magnet during the weeklong Spring Festival. Starting on Feb 11, the capital recorded more than 6.63 million visits by the time the holiday ended on Wednesday. Data from the Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism showed that the city's tourism revenue amounted to 4.25 billion yuan ($658 million) during the holiday, up 2.9 times year-on-year.

SUBURBAN AREAS

Suburban areas of Shanghai saw a huge number of visitors during the first three days of Spring Festival. The average occupancy rate of hotels in the city's suburbs stood at 57 percent from Feb 11-13, up 27 percentage points from the same period of 2019, according to the city's culture and tourism administration. Traditional cultural activities were the most popular among visitors and locals.

DECLINE IN INCOMES

Restaurants in Hong Kong reported the largest annual decline in combined incomes last year as the catering sector took the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to official data. Restaurant receipts plummeted 29.4 percent from a year ago to HK$79.4 billion ($10 billion) in 2020. Bars were hit the hardest with incomes slumping 47.9 percent from 2019. Chinese restaurants saw their incomes down by 38.2 percent and fast food outlets earned 19.1 percent less than a year ago.

Xinhua