BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- China was a country on the move during the just-concluded National Day holiday. Almost half of the population traveled during the "Golden Week" that ran from Oct. 1 to 8, with both domestic and overseas tourism industries receiving a big boost.
Here's a list of facts and figures on how Chinese traveled during the holiday, the amount of money they spent, and how they spent it.
-- Increased traveling enthusiasm: A total of 705 million Chinese traveled around the country during the holiday, generating 583.6 billion yuan (about 87.8 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). On a 7-day comparable basis, not taking into account the extra day added to this year's holiday period for Mid-Autumn Festival,the trips made and revenue generated represented an increase of 11.9 percent and 13.9 percent year on year respectively.
-- Busy traffic: A total of 12.95 million passenger trips were made by plane during the holiday, up 14.6 percent year on year. Over 110 million passenger trips have been made by rail since the holiday travel rush started on Sept. 28, the China Railway Corporation said.
-- Retail boom: Retail and restaurant revenue reached 1.5 trillion yuan (about 225.6 billion U.S. dollars) during the holiday, with the daily average sales up 10.3 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
-- More domestic travelers: More Chinese tourists were interested in domestic travel, with a rise of over 100 percent this year, while those interested in overseas travel increased 55.7 percent, indicating a shift toward the domestic tourism market, according to user behavior data, compiled by tourism website mafengwo.cn and news app Toutiao.
-- Diverse overseas travel: Data complied by the CNTA showed that about 6 million Chinese from nearly 300 cities traveled internationally to 1,155 cities in 88 countries or regions during the National Day holiday.
-- Belt and Road countries become popular destinations: Countries and regions along the Belt and Road, including some European countries such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, emerged as popular destinations during the holiday, according to data from Lvmama.com, an online travel agency.
-- More rational overseas spending: Chinese tourists increasingly tended to travel by themselves instead of joining tour groups, according to CNTA data. While they were previously renowned for their consumption power overseas, during this holiday period they tended to travel more for experiences rather than for purchasing luxury items.
-- In-depth tours gained traction: As Chinese tourists bid farewell to group tours, they are more interested in personalized travel experiences. Official data showed that tourists to France tended to visit villages and museums instead of just traditional tourist sites, while those traveling to the United States participated in local activities such as attending shows and watching basketball games.
-- Demand for high-quality tours on the rise: Per capita spending on overseas tour packages reached a new high surpassing 5,000 yuan, indicating demand for high quality organized tours, according to ly.com, another travel website. Tourists from China's second- and third-tier cities spent more than those from first-tier cities.
