Passengers walk past a service booth in Fengtai Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

More than 7.2 billion inter-regional trips were made in China from Jan. 26 to Feb. 27, the first 33 days of the Spring Festival travel rush, official data shows.

The figure went up 10.6 percent from the same period of 2023, according to a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

Road traffic made up the lion's share of these trips. During the period, more than 5.8 billion trips were made via self-driving vehicles on expressways and national and provincial roads, marking a record high, Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng told the press conference.

Railway passenger traffic reached the highest level for the same period in history, while civil aviation passenger traffic also hit a record high, Li said.

In the face of adverse weather, such as temperature drops, rain and snow, local transport authorities activated emergency plans in time and effectively ensured the travel needs of key groups, including migrant workers, students, family visitors and tourists, especially in key regions and at key periods, Li added.

The Spring Festival, which fell on Feb. 10 this year, is China's biggest traditional festival. This year's Spring Festival travel rush started on Jan. 26 and will end on March 5.