Travel and spending increased sig-nificantly across China during the just ended Labor Day holiday as the re-emergence of SARS did little to dampen vacationers' spirits, state media said yesterday.
Some 104 million tourists flooding scenic spots across China during the past week, 19.6 percent more than in 2002, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Earnings from tourism reached 39 billion yuan (US$4.7 billion) nationwide, an increase of 17.8 percent from 2002, Xinhua said, with shopping and eating out being the big money-makers.
A survey of 143 department stores in 31 major cities throughout the country found that the stores earned 3 billion yuan in sales during the week, according to Xinhua.
A similar survey of 140 restaurants in the cities showed diners spent 235 million yuan there, 32.2 percent more than in 2002.
Retail sales during the May 1 to 7 Golden Week increased by 23 percent from the same period in 2002, the People's Daily said, citing figures from the Commerce Ministry. No amount was given.
Beijing began giving its citizens a week-long holiday to celebrate May Day in 2001, increasing the previous three-day holiday to seven days by tagging on two weekends in a bid to boost spending and increase economic growth.
Increasing disposable income has allowed Chinese to travel in droves, with nearly 30 percent of China's urban population choosing travel as a major holiday activity, Xinhua said, citing statistics from the office for nationwide tourism coordination.
Liaoning Province received over 5 million tourists during the week, an increase of 15 percent over the same period last year, Xinhua said. It garnered over 2.1 billion yuan in earnings from tourism, up 16 percent from the same period in 2002, according to the local branch of the nationwide tourism office.
It appeared that few Chinese were worried about SARS this year. The SARS epidemic forced the government to cancel the extended holiday last year.
RSS