(Yicai Global) Jan. 6 -- The number of passenger trips made during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday in China are expected to double from a year earlier.

Some 2.1 billion trips will be made in the 40-day travel rush this year, recovering to about 70 percent of 2019’s level, Xu Chengguang, transport vice minister, told reporters today. 

Predictions, analysis, and study of travel flow this Spring Festival, starting tomorrow through Feb. 15, is difficult using the operational patterns of previous years, as this holiday will be the most uncertain, complex, and challenging considering the overlapping peaks of passenger volumes and Covid-19 infections, Xu said. Preparation for the period are mostly complete, he added.

Fifty-five percent of all travelers will be those heading home to family, with about 24 percent returning home from their workplaces, Xu said. Ten percent will make leisure or business trips. College students will account for a smaller share of journeys than in previous years since holidays have already begun at many colleges, Xu pointed out.

Before the start of Spring Festival holidays, most people travel between larger cities and nearby towns or provinces where most workers come from. Returnee numbers may be a little overwhelming, with two peaks predicted around Jan. 27 and Feb. 6.

Deliveries will likely jump during the upcoming Spring Festival, Xu added. Shipments of medical and holiday supplies, energy, food, and other key items will increase over the coming months as the Covid-19 epidemic is expected to peak along with the festival, he noted.

Editors: Shi Yi, Martin Kadiev