Chinese survey: 72% are eager to return to the movies after shutdown

As sequestered Chinese citizens begin to return to offices and public places, one of the spots they are most likely to be visiting are cinemas.

An end-of-March survey of more than 1,500 people conducted by the China Film Society and Mayoan Entertainment found that seven out of 10 respondents were most eager to go back to the movies. The response was 54% higher than a similar survey conducted a month earlier by the China Film Society and Mayoan Entertainment.

Other key findings:

• Some 66% of respondents have resumed normal work routines at their offices, while 26% were working on rotating shifts or working from home. 
• One-third of respondents expected a significant income decline in 2020 caused by COVID-19.
• About 62% of respondents said they were paying attention to news on the reopening of cinemas in the country, and 55% said they were interested in learning about upcoming movie releases.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, most Chinese citizens answering the survey expected to have less spending cash on hand in the coming year and foresaw making significant cuts in what they spend on restaurants, movie theaters, and travel. However, they felt that precautionary safety measures, ticket discounts, and high-quality films would influence them to return to cinemas.