RAILWAY TRIPS

More than 300 million passenger trips were made via China's railways from Jan 26 to Feb 19 — the first 25 days of the Spring Festival travel rush — according to the China State Railway Group. The country's railways remained busy even after the end of the Spring Festival holiday, with students and migrant workers continuing to boost railway travel numbers. Railway departments have provided additional trains in response. This year's Spring Festival travel rush will end on March 5.

RECORD HIGH

While multifaceted Chinese New Year activities took place, Macao's tourism industry was off to a good start. According to statistics from the Macao Government Tourism Office, visitor arrivals to the city on Feb 12 exceeded 210,000, surpassing the single-day arrival record since 2023. It is also the second-highest number since single-day statistics became available. The data showed that the city's daily average arrivals reached 167,000 during Feb 10-12, seeing an increase of 226 percent compared to the Chinese New Year holiday of 2023. MGTO data showed that the average occupancy rate of hotels reached 90 percent within the first three days of the Chinese New Year.

SCHEDULED OPENINGS

Hospitality group Accor announced a new partnership with Huayu Group to bring two of its popular and family-friendly brands to one of Hainan Island's most coveted vacation spots. Swissotel Sanya Yalong Bay and Grand Mercure Sanya Yalong Bay will comprise a spectacular resort with a mix of Swissotel's vitality-infused guest experience and Grand Mercure's ethos of embracing local cultural traditions. Refurbishments on the site are now underway, with the official opening of the two hotels expected by the end of 2024. The new hotels will be in the midst of the Yalong Bay National Tourist Resort, within the modern and popular Baihua Valley Commercial Center, which offers a vibrant and fastgrowing neighborhood of local hot spots, restaurants, shopping and entertainment options.

TASTE DISCOVERY

Accor has introduced the 88 Bites Sustainable Food Journey, a new program celebrating the rich and diverse food culture of Hainan Island that demonstrates the delicious possibilities of sustainably produced cuisine. The first phase of the program launched at Sofitel Haikou, where the culinary team introduced 22 creative dishes featuring sustainable ingredients and locally sourced products. In April, Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay will introduce 22 dishes, followed by Raffles Hainan Clear Water Bay in July, then Sofitel Sanya Leeman Resort in October. Together, the four hotels will introduce a total of 88 dishes, designed to inspire visitors to rediscover and fall in love with the flavors and abundance of Hainan. Pullman Sanya Yalong Bay Villas & Resort and Pullman Oceanview Sanya Bay Resort & Spa will also get into the spirit and offer a selection of the 88 Bites on their menus throughout the year.

China Daily - Xinhua