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Chen Lingling, a government worker in Beijing, recently decided to postpone a long-awaited trip to France and visit Xiamen, in Fujian province, for her annual spring journey.
"Considering the current economic situation, my husband and I decided to save our money," said Chen, whose spouse works for a bank. The couple bought their first car, a $30,000 Volkswagen Sagitar, last year, and have a $440 monthly mortgage on their home.
"Although our jobs seem secure now, who knows what will happen?" Chen said. One of her best friends got laid off from a trading company a few days ago, reminding Chen that she might not be immune to the financial crisis.
Chen and her husband enjoyed an economical vacation in Xiamen. They used their award miles on Air China to get free tickets, which saved them $1,000. For the first time, they did not check into a luxury hotel, but booked a cozy room in a designer hotel, retrofitted from an old house, for about $30 a day. They did no shopping, and hardly spent any money except for food.
Like Chen, many Chinese will be traveling less or taking shorter trips this year.
"Many people will decide against a trip to the US or EU in favor of a shorter journey inside China or to an Asian country because of the financial crisis," said Li Ying, a senior editor for the monthly magazine Traveler, which is affiliated with National Geographic.
The magazine plans to increase its domestic tours from 40 to 60 percent this year, Li said.
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