China's Lunar New Year travel plunges 50% to 20-year low

Economists warn of negative growth this quarter as consumer spending plummets

Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai: Drastic measures by authorities to curb the spread of the outbreak led people to stay home instead of travel during the Lunar New Year. © Reuters

ISSAKU HARADA, Nikkei staff writer

February 20, 2020 02:05 JST

BEIJING -- Chinese travel around the Lunar New Year holiday plunged by half this year to 1.48 billion trips, China's transport ministry said Wednesday, as the coronavirus outbreak disrupted trips nationwide.