Holidaymakers Swell Industry's Coffers

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 ◆ Holidaymakers Swell Industry's Coffers

China's tourism market reached a new peak during the May Day holiday, which is traditionally called a "golden week.'' It has been predicted that the amount of income from tourism and the travel industry during the holiday will surpass both last year's May Day week and the week-long National Day holiday, according to information released on Monday, the last day of the holiday, by an office set up during the holiday by the National Tourism Administration. Major tourist attractions like Shanghai, Chengde, Wuhan, Shenzhen and Nanjing have all seen significant increases in the holiday season. More than 3.3 million people took a trip to Shanghai, creating an income of 1.9 billion yuan (US$229 million), up 3.8 per cent and 24.8 per cent on the National Day holiday last year. The consumption boom meant a boost to service industries such as the railways, airlines, urban transport, the catering trade and the retail industry. Beijing's major department stores organized more than 150 activities during the holiday, almost doubling their sales last week. Food sales in Beijing's supermarkets also saw an increase of 60 per cent, the Beijing Daily newspaper reported. Airlines, railways and highways connecting the hot destinations have been almost fully occupied during the holiday. More than 90 per cent of the tickets of airlines between Beijing and Shanghai and Beijing and Guangzhou were pre-booked and hundreds of temporary trains and planes were added during the holiday. Illegal ticket scalpers again surfaced in some railway stations during the holiday but met crackdown from public security departments. This year's tourism industry has been characterized by its diverse but efficient performance. Libraries, theatres and museums have become popular new venues for relaxation, helping to ease the heavy tourist flow in other famous scenic spots this year. Local police departments stepped up efforts in preventing crime during the holiday and social order was successfully maintained. Nearly 2.7 million public security staff were organized in Beijing to supervise 176 large-scale activities and the major 10 parks. The seven-day holiday was designated by the Chinese Government last year along with the Spring Festival -- China's lunar New Year in February -- and National Day in October. May Day, which falls in the spring, is considered one of the best seasons to travel in China.