Flight bookings surged by up to 15 times after Beijing relaxed quarantine rules, raising hope that a release of pent-up demand ahead of a major holiday will breathe life into China’s battered tourism industry. The Chinese capital had until Wednesday lived under some of the strictest novel coronavirus preventive measures in the country, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving. That requirement was scrapped from Thursday for travellers from low-risk areas of China, just ahead of a five-day May Day holiday, beginning on Friday. “It finally happened. I quickly bought a couple of air tickets for Chengdu leaving in two days,” said Zheng Lijun, 27, a Beijing office worker. “I’ve always wanted to see the pandas.” Chengdu is capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, where China’s pandas live. The Labour Day holiday is China’s first extended break since the easing of coronavirus lockdowns, offering […]