Trending toward travel

"I continue to wear my mask, even though restrictions have lifted, because I want to feel hygienic and protected wherever I go," says Pan Siyang, a traveler from Zhejiang province.

"I want this to be the case in other countries, too."

A big data report by Baidu and People.cn reveals that, from Jan 20 to 30, over 1 billion people searched for information about COVID-19, including best practices to maintain clean environments.

"As more Chinese people begin to fly again, there will be a stronger focus on the risks of travel and understanding the status of COVID-19 in the destination," Mailman X business director Michael Lin says.

China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers a searchable COVID-19 risk assessment coupled with a QR-code system created by Ant Financial, which classifies individuals' status using red, yellow and green color codes.

These measures will reassure Chinese travelers of safety and sanitation when they venture back into public spaces and mitigate risks at venues, the report says.

Shanghai Disneyland reopened in May, with visitor numbers capped at 30 percent. Guests are required to wear facemasks at all times, and only those with a green QR status can enter.

The domestic tourism market continued to recover over the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

The country recorded over 48.8 million tourist visits over the threeday holiday, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reports. Tourism revenue reached 12.3 billion yuan ($1.7 billion).

Bookings for attractions in China increased by 176 percent at the beginning of May compared with the Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday in early April.

"People are clearly itching to get out and about, making the importance of these controls crucial to public and individual safety," Lin says.

As China's economy emerges from virus-containment measures, the rebound in leisure travel has so far been conservative, with most people choosing to stay close to home.