Spring holidays bring travel boom in China

Beijing, Jan 29 (IANS) A week-long holiday to celebrate the Chinese lunar new year has spurred a travel boom in the country, the government said Saturday.

The lunar new year on Jan 23 marked the end of the winter in China. It is also celebrated as Spring Festival as it ushers in the spring season.

Beijing received 8.27 million visitors, generating 3.4 billion yuan (about $538 million), during the holidays, the National Holiday Tourism Office said.

The revenue was up 9.3 percent compared to the previous year, Xinhua reports.

About 3.14 million travellers went to Shanghai, representing an increase of 3.2 percent year-on-year. Shanghai's tourism revenue rose by 10.4 percent to 2.96 billion yuan.

Outbound trips continued to increase sharply. According to South Korean tourism authorities, a total of 45,000 Chinese visited the country during the holidays, up by over 30 percent compared to the previous year.

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