Domestic air travel in China, after collapsing due to coronavirus, has now reached more than 50 per cent of what it was a year ago, according to ForwardKeys, a consultancy that tracks air ticket bookings.

The group also said in a news release that its analysis of flight ticketing data revealed “a significant uptick in last minute domestic flight bookings in China between 11 May and 21 May”. It said this phenomenon had been influenced by the return of Chinese students to universities.

“The revival will certainly be welcomed by everyone in the tourism industry, but it needs to be kept in perspective because at the moment the business is mostly local and, typically, the shorter the distance people travel, the less they tend to spend,” ForwardKeys, which is based in Valencia, Spain, said.