New Year's Day revenue to reach $11.7b in China

China’s tourism revenue for the upcoming New Year’s Day holiday is estimated to reach 76.5 billion yuan ($11.7 billion), an increase of 12.7 percent year-on-year, according to China National Tourism Administration’s Wednesday announcement.

The announcement forecast the number of China’s domestic tourist trips during the New Year’s Day holiday will reach 135 million, up by 12.5 percent from the corresponding period last year.

As the New Year’s Day holiday is relatively short, lasting three days, most people will make short-distance trips and driving will become their first choice for transportation.

Family reunion remains the important holiday theme and family trips are favored. Amid lowering temperatures, hot spring holiday packages suitable for the elderly and young are likely to attract a large number of tourists.

Tourists will flock to South China to escape the cold weather or to the North for winter-themed activities, such as ice skating and skiing.

Sanya, the southernmost city in South China’s Hainan province, and Harbin, the provincial capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, are among the hottest destinations.

With the upgrading of tourism and consumption, holiday vacations and travels have become a typical demand of Chinese people and are expected to become a greater driving force for consumption.

In 2016, the overall contribution of tourism to the national economy stood at 11 percent, with total revenues of 4.69 trillion yuan, Xinhua News Agency reported Dec 20.

Hu Xinyi contributed to the story.