Locals hang out to admire blooming flowers in spring in Xishan district, Wuxi. [Photo/wxrb.com]

A number of airlines at Wuxi Sunan Shuofang Airport are working to optimize routes and increase flights in order to meet rising demand for tourism during the coming Qingming Festival and Labor Day holidays.

According to several airlines, the search volume related to the two holidays has risen sharply in recent days, and ticket bookings have exceeded that of the same period in 2019.

In addition, because the city of Beijing relaxed COVID-19 restrictions on March 16, many people may travel to the city to visit friends and family. Previously, those entering Beijing from low-risk domestic areas needed to present a negative nucleic acid test result within seven days before their arrival and undergo further tests one week and two weeks after their arrival.

The Wuxi Branch of China Eastern Airlines said that starting March 28, it will offer eight flights from Wuxi to Beijing Daxing International Airport every day and six from Wuxi to Guangzhou.

China Eastern Airlines will also provide direct flights from Wuxi to Sanya, Hainan province, cutting travel time between the cities by two hours.

Shenzhen Airlines will provide flights from Wuxi to Yantai and Changchun starting at the end of March. Two flights will be offered from Wuxi to Shenyang, Zhuhai and Chongqing every day.

Qingming Festival, or the Tomb-Sweeping Day, is held at the beginning of April, after the arrival of spring. The festival falls on April 4 this year.

It is a time when many go out to enjoy nature and remember the dead.