Trending toward travel

Independent travel in open spaces is favored since it allows for social distancing, the Mailman X report says.

Crowded transportation options are less popular with 41 percent of travelers, who opt to drive themselves. Nearly 30 percent prefer high-speed trains, according to the report.

A McKinsey survey of 1,600 travelers in eight Chinese cities found 56 percent are planning trips between September and October, around the weeklong National Day holiday that starts on Oct 1.

And 54 percent are waiting on announcements from experts or the reopening of schools. About half are opting for domestic travel only.

Between 85 and 90 percent of respondents feel that travel was "not safe at all" in early April.

But this attitude is changing. Car rentals increased by 10 percent during the May Day holiday of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. Shanghai, Hainan and Chengdu were the most popular destinations, the Mailman X report says.

"This shows that, as restrictions are lifted and we see a rise in public confidence, the numbers grow immensely," Lin says.

While China is showing positive signs of recovery, domestic travelers have reduced spending on nonessential purchases like luxury items.

A report on COVID-19's impact on luxury sales from consulting firm Boston Consulting Group says luxury brands should expect a sales decline of $85 billion to $120 billion in 2020.

"This will come as no surprise, since 51 percent of the surveyed Chinese participants say they'd work harder to earn more, but only 8 percent are willing to shop more," Lin says.

The BCG's best-case scenario estimates that sales will still be down by at least 10 percent by December compared with 2019.