Golden Week benefits China's neighbors
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-05-06 19:39
For Hu Mingming, a female Chinese fashion designer, golden week means lying
on the sand at the picturesque Phuket Island in Thailand and enjoying seven days
of sunshine.
It is the fourth time Hu has spent her week-long holiday on Phuket Island,
one of the first international tourist sites for Chinese. Like Hu, more and more
Chinese choose to spend their holidays outside China.
Statistics with the Thailand tourism authority show Chinese tourists made
more than 100,000 trips to Phuket Island in 2005, and the figure is expected to
top 150,000 this year.
A Chinese expert said China's holidays have benefited more and more
neighboring countries since China began its first full week holiday to celebrate
National Day in October 1999.
Having an entire week off means that Chinese tourists have enough time to
head out the country. During this week's golden holiday, the neighboring
countries have been the top choices for Chinese tourists, according to latest
figures from the National Tourism Administration.
The Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand,
have attracted the majority of Chinese tourists, said the tourism authority.
Chinese tourists have been the main source for increased profits of scenic
spots, restaurants and department stores in Singapore, the authority said.
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