To limit the spread of COVID-19, the government has discouraged travel in what is normally the busiest time of the year. As a result, airline bookings made as of Jan. 19 for Lunar New Year travel have plunged 73.7% compared with the holiday period in 2019, according to data from travel analytics firm ForwardKeys provided to Reuters. ForwardKeys did not provide 2020 data, saying the early days of the COVID outbreak distorted the numbers. Many employees working for state-owned companies or government agencies have been told not to travel without management approval, state media reported. However, Nie, the designer, said she was too concerned about the possibility of increased restrictions to book a last-minute ticket home.

Source: bd News24 January 26, 2021 04:18 UTC