China's tourism revenue posts double-digit growth during holiday

Tourists visit the SanfangQixiang (Three Lanes and Seven Alleys), a scenic spot in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 21, 2018. According to statistics from the provincial tourism department, more than 22.66 million tourists visited Fujian Province during the past week-long Chinese Spring Festival holiday, which brought a total tourism revenue of 17.224 billion yuan (about 2.715 billion US dollars). (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China posted a double-digit growth in tourism revenue during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, official data showed Wednesday.

The tourism industry garnered 475 billion yuan (about 75 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, up 12.6 percent from last year's holiday, according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

Some 386 million trips by tourists were made, up 12.1 percent from last year's holiday, the CNTA said in a statement.

Guangdong, Sichuan and Hunan received the most tourists among all provincial regions. Nearly half of travelers drove instead of taking public transportation.

Overseas travel remained popular, with Chinese tourists from nearly 200 cities visiting 68 countries and regions during the holiday.

People buy cold noodles, a typical food of Xi'an, at a Spring Festival Fair in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 19, 2018. Fairs were held at main scenic spots in Xi'an City to celebrate Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Southeast Asia was the top destination, while long-distance tours to countries including Argentina and Mexico were also popular.

Nearly half of overseas travels were independent tours rather than escorted group tours, the CNTA cited data from online tour operator Ctrip.com as saying.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is traditionally a time for family gatherings in China. In recent years, family travels have become increasingly common that help to drive a tourism boom across the country.

China earned 5.4 trillion yuan from tourism in 2017, an increase of 15.1 percent. The country plans to raise tourism revenue to 7 trillion yuan by 2020 in a bid to develop tourism into a major driver of economic transformation and upgrading.

This year's Lunar New Year holiday runs from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21.

People visit a temple fair at Ditan Park in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2018, the second day of the Spring Festival holiday. (Xinhua/Chen Xiaogen)