China May Day holiday extension boosts tourism interest

Chinese government’s decision to extend the May Day holiday to four days has greatly spurred tourism in May, according to online travel agency Ctrip. Trip searches and orders surged by about 50 percent on its mobile app after the State Council announced the extension of May Day holiday on Friday.

The company estimated that about 150 million trips will be made during the period, with notable growth in domestic and regional trips. Thailand, Japan and Indonesia are expected to be popular overseas travel destinations during the holiday, while Chongqing, Hangzhou and Shanghai are hot domestic tourism cities.

Wat Phra Kaew in Bankok, Thailand. /VCG Photo