Mainland tourism and commerce authorities yesterday capped the week-long May Day holiday by reporting double-digit growth in tourist numbers and revenue over the break. According to the National Tourism Administration and the National Bureau of Statistics, 146 million domestic travellers - or 20 per cent more than last year - hit the road during the week-long holiday which ended on Sunday. Tourism revenue generated by 'golden week' was also up 25.3 per cent year on year, hitting a record 58.5 billion yuan. Gains were also recorded in the number of people making day trips, up 18.6 per cent to 107 million. Revenue from air travel rose 21.5 per cent to more than 2.4 billion yuan and rail revenue was up 6.9 per cent to 1.33 billion yuan. The mainland's 39 main tourism cities handled 52.25 million visitors, racking up 24.2 billion yuan in income over the week. Retailers collectively registered a new high of 278 billion yuan during the seven-day holiday, up 16 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry said the catering sector recorded an 18 per cent jump in revenue and robust spending increases were seen on gold, home appliances and low-emission cars. The figures came as no surprise to many accustomed to official celebration of record-setting statistics since the introduction of the 'golden week' holiday system in 1999. But tourism and commercial authorities appeared keen to highlight the system's success amid criticism of the system.
