China will also continue visa-free entry to some places, including Hainan island and for cruise ships stopping in Shanghai and entering Guangdong, for people from Hong Kong and Macau.

Last week, in a meeting, new Premier Li Qiang called for greater efforts to achieve the 5% growth target this year, according to the South China Morning Post .

According to data from China's Ministry of Public Security, only 115.7 million domestic and international trips will be made in 2022 - less than a fifth of the number of flights in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Mainland residents made 64.6 million trips last year, also about a fifth of pre-Covid-19 levels.

Chinese airlines have stepped up to meet demand since reopening, adding international routes after the government allowed the resumption of group tours abroad.

The number of international flights this year will be 50 to 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels and then surpass that mark in 2024, China Securities Journal reported, citing estimates from Citic Securities.

China has so far allowed its citizens to travel in groups to 60 countries and territories around the world, under a pilot program. However, destinations such as the US, South Korea, Japan, etc. are not included. On the contrary, when China opened internationally on January 8, it still did not issue tourist visas to foreigners and did not officially issue them again until March 15.