BEIJING: Travellers in China have taken to sleeping in toilets and restaurants as the surge in “revenge travel” over the Labour Day break leaves hotels and tourist hotspots struggling to cope with the crush of tourists.
A widely circulated video on Chinese social media showed domestic tourists snoozing shoulder-to-shoulder in a public toilet near one of the summits of Huangshan in Anhui province, one of China’s most popular tourist destinations.
It was too late to go down the mountain, and because hotels were full, the tourists had hunkered down in the toilet, according to the video, which cited a staff member from the tourist area.In one of the videos, a voice can be heard reminding users to refrain from affecting others using the toilet should they insist on sleeping there.
Dozens of university students have also been photographed taking advantage of hotpot business Haidilao’s long opening hours by using the chain’s outlets as free lodging to save on hotel bills, according to Chinese media.
It has sparked discussion on Chinese social media, with netizens urging students to leave the restaurant for customers.
A WeChat post by the Heilongjiang province’s Communist Youth League showed pictures of pieces of luggage parked outside a Haidilao outlet in Nanjiang, adding that the practice of using Haidilao outlets as free accommodation is gaining traction. The post also cited a spokesman for the restaurant that said the crowds had slowed business there, adding that their proximity to the nearby Purple Mountain, or Zijin Shan, made it attractive to guests.
This year’s Labour Day break – traditionally one of China’s busiest travel seasons – is seen as a bellwether for recovery of the tourism industry and the wider Chinese economy.
Some cities had cautioned would-be visitors about overcrowding as domestic tourism rebounds after Beijing ended Covid-19 curbs. — The Straits Times/ANN
