Statistics published by the National Tourism Administration (NTA) on
Sunday show that during this May Day holiday the number of tourists
visiting 116 Chinese scenic spots grew 12.9 percent year on year with
ticket income going up by 21.6 percent.
The overall tourism revenue in 38 major Chinese cities during the
seven-day holiday exceeded 20 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion), the NTA
said.
The seven-day holiday week has become a significant opportunity for the
development of China's tourism market despite disputes about the
rationality of the "Golden Week". The holiday puts great pressure on
transportation, catering outlets, hotels and tourism infrastructure,
according to experts.
China now has three "Golden Week" holidays in the year -- Spring
Festival, International Labor Day and National Day. The new holiday
system was set up by the Chinese government in 1999 to boost domestic
demand, stimulate consumption and assist in restructuring the economy.
As the holidays turned out to be "golden" for the economy they became
known as the "Golden Weeks".
With imbalances in the development of China's economy these "Golden
Weeks" offer significant opportunities for economic restructuring and
employment expansion in popular tourist destinations.
During this May Day holiday period, 19 people were killed in 11 accidents
across the country including a Dutch tourist.
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