(Yicai) Feb. 5 -- Bookings for trips to and from China over the lunar new year holiday have soared more than 900 percent compared with the year-earlier period, according to data from Chinese online travel agency Trip.Com.

Outbound travel bookings have been given a boost by easier visa policies, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, Shanghai-based Trip.Com said today. Top destinations for Chinese holidaymakers include Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam, it noted.

The Chinese New Year holiday, known as the Spring Festival in China and running from Feb. 12 to 17 this year, is also a draw for visitors to the country, with inbound travel reservations surging more than 10 times, Trip.Com added. Visitors are mainly coming from Japan, the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Vietnam, Germany, and Thailand.

China has inked visa waiver agreements with more than 10 countries since last July, with online travel searches for Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore surging following the singing of reciprocal 30-day visa-free deals, Trip.Com said.

Domestic tourists are booking getaways ranging from the snowy northern regions to the relaxing southern hot springs, with reservations soaring 600 percent, Trip.Com noted. The regional travel experience, which has evolved into a trend known as the "North-South Exchange," continues to attract visitors seeking unique and immersive journeys, it added.

Around nine billion people will travel between regions in China from Jan. 26 to March 5, a new record high and nearly triple the pre-pandemic level of 2019, according to the Ministry of Transport. 

Editor: Martin Kadiev