China sees uptick in flight bookings ahead of Qingming holiday

China has seen a surge in air travel bookings and ticket prices ahead of the Qingming holiday, as travelers flock to popular tourist spots to embrace the spring scenery.

This year's Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on Friday. With spring in full bloom, tourist attractions across the country are expected to see an increase in visitors enjoying the flower season during the three-day holiday.

As of April 1, more than 3.02 million domestic flight tickets had been booked for the Qingming holiday, a 10 percent increase year on year, according to data from the flight travel app Umetrip.

Air travel bookings have surged for popular flower-viewing destinations in eastern China, with Wuxi in Jiangsu Province and Huangshan in Anhui Province seeing year-on-year increases of 35 percent and 50 percent, respectively, according to data from online travel platforms.

Tourist interest in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Nyingchi City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has surged, driven by their blooming spring landscapes. Searches for connecting flights to these destinations have jumped 98 percent year on year, while holiday flight bookings to Nyingchi have risen by more than 50 percent compared to the same period last year.

Currently, the highest one-way ticket price for domestic flights to Wuxi has gone up by almost 10 percent. The average one-way ticket prices for flights to Huangshan and Nyingchi last week rose by 15 percent compared to the previous week.

Meanwhile, many Chinese travelers are opting for outbound tourism during the Qingming holiday, with Japan, South Korea, and Singapore among the top destinations.

The National Immigration Administration expects the number of cross-border travelers to average 2.1 million per day during this year's Qingming holiday, a 21.4 percent year-on-year increase compared to last year.

As of April 1, the number of inbound and outbound flight bookings for the holiday has surpassed 630,000, up 24 percent from the same period last year.

"Flight prices during the Qingming holiday are lower compared to the Spring Festival and May Day holidays. However, prices for some popular routes have risen as the departure date approaches. Currently, flights from Beijing to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are under 1,000 yuan (about 138 U.S. dollars), while flights to Bangkok, Seoul, and Jeju Island range from 1,000 to 2,000 yuan (about 275 U.S. dollars). Flights from Shanghai to Bangkok are as low as more than 500 yuan (about 69 U.S. dollars), and tickets to destinations like Cheongju, Jeju Island, Fukuoka, and Osaka are around 1,500 yuan (about 206 U.S. dollars)," said Liu Ting, a researcher with the big data research institute of online travel service provider Qunar.com.

China sees uptick in flight bookings ahead of Qingming holiday

The Italian capital Rome, one of the world's most famous tourism destinations, is looking to live up to its nickname of the "Eternal City" by doubling down on efforts to protect and promote its historical sites as visitor numbers rise.

The city welcomed a record number of 22.9 million tourist arrivals last year as its popularity as a premier tourism spot continued to climb. But as more and more people flock to Rome's landmark sites, authorities are taking steps to keep things under control.

Visitors hoping to get up close to the city's 264-year-old Trevi Fountain, a masterpiece of Roman Baroque architecture and one of the world's most famous landmarks, must now pay a small fee after Rome Council introduced a 2-euro entry price to access the fountain's lower basin

"During February, we had around 230,000 tickets sold. This system guarantees a much more orderly access for tourists," said Giorgio Trabucco, vice president of the Rome Tourism Commission.

The measure was brought in to combat overcrowding, and also follows a series of incidents involving tourists sitting, eating, and even jumping into the historic waters.

"It's clear there have been episodes of disrespect. It's a difficult challenge, but our administration, with interventions like this – managing tourism not limiting it – is an added value for our city," said Trabucco.

The funds raised by the entrance tickets will go towards security, cleaning and maintenance of the ancient site, and while some tourists are annoyed at having to fork out, the majority believe it's money well spent.

"I would pay 2 euros, it's not breaking the bank and it's lovely to see," said a tourist.

Meanwhile, at the newly-upgraded Colosseum Metro Station, history is very much part of the journey, with ancient artifacts which were uncovered during the subway line's construction on display to the public for free.

It points to the fine balancing act facing city management, as it looks to preserve its cultural heritage while also keeping it open to everyone.

Paolo Aielli, head of Rome's public transport company ATAC, said conserving the past while building for the future depends on close cooperation across different interest groups.

"(We have adopted a very co-operative model) because we have the responsibility in terms of engineering but at the same time we have a very important interaction with the archaeological authority," he said.

The new "museum station" -- which opened late last year -- is part of Rome's expanding rail network, and has quickly become an attraction in its own right. According to Aielli, the station received more than 1 million visitors in its first month.

For now, officials say there are no plans to introduce fees at other major sites, though the option remains on the table as tourism continues to rise.

Rome steps up efforts to protect historical sites amid tourism boom