Less travel, more moviegoing over China National Day break

BEIJING (AP) — China saw a major dip in travel over the past week’s National Day vacation. People staying home appeared to have chosen the cinema instead, with a patriotic Korean War film taking in more than $535 million at the box office. The official Xinhua News Agency reported that over the seven-day holiday beginning Oct. 1, China saw 515 million trips taken, just over 70% during the same period last year before the coronavirus outbreak spurred travel restrictions and demands for testing, vaccinations and quarantines. Spending appeared to have bounced back, however, with tourists splashing out $60 billion during the holiday, up almost 60% from last year. China became the world’s largest box office last year as it reopened theaters and other entertainment venues.