China sees tourism boom during May Day holiday

The tourism boom came as China tries to wean its economy off over-reliance on exports and heavy industries, and shift to a growth model that draws strength from consumption, innovation and service sector. (Photo: Jim G/ Flickr)

BEIJING –China saw a tourism boom during the three-day May Day holiday, a sign of the country’s booming tourism industry, official data showed on Monday.

The country’s tourism industry raked in 79.1 billion yuan (11.5 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue during the holiday, up 16.2 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the National Tourism Administration.

During the holiday that ended on Monday, tourist destinations across China received a total of 134 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 14.4 percent.

The tourism boom came as China tries to wean its economy off over-reliance on exports and heavy industries, and shift to a growth model that draws strength from consumption, innovation and service sector.

The tourism industry is considered a driver to growth as it boosts profitability in sectors ranging from hotel, transportation to catering.