In a recent report by international connectivity provider BICS, it was found that roaming data volumes reached all-time highs during the recent 'Golden Week' holiday, suggesting that international travel to and from China has risen steadily during the national holiday, compared to last year. The October Golden Week in China is one of the year’s busiest for tourism in the Asia, with more people travelling domestically as well as into and out of the country.
While reports are mixed on this year’s Golden Week’s impact on China’s economy, data from BICS shows the week drove a large spike in roaming data usage during the period. With China removing its three-year-long COVID travel restrictions at the start of this year, this shows the first promising signs of travel recovery across the region.
BICS reported the level of inbound roamers i.e. people travelling into the country across the week increased by 152% from the previous year. While outbound roamers i.e. people travelling from China doubled from last year.
Frederic Salmon, Managing Director Asia Pacific, BICS
East Asia’s post-pandemic recovery has been much slower than in other regions around the world, so it's encouraging to see international travel pick up across our network here. Since BICS carries such a high percentage of the world’s data roaming traffic, our data often tells a story, and in this case, suggests that international travel in China is heading towards recovery and growth. As travel and digitalisation are key growth drivers across Asia-Pacific, BICS is ready to meet its customers’ international connectivity needs, providing seamless roaming experience anywhere in the world.
