Are the annual holidays really that golden?
By Zhu Zhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-08 06:55

Taking into account the weekly two-day holiday, Chinese people now have 114 days off every year. And the three "Golden Weeks" are no doubt most attractive because they provide plenty of time for rest and travel.

Since the National Day holiday of 1999, the levels of tourists and tourism revenue have soared. The May Day holiday this year saw 121 million tourists who spent 46.7 million yuan (US$5.7 million), up 332 per cent and 231 per cent respectively from the figures for the first "Golden Week" holiday.

However, behind this prosperous scene several problems have emerged, such as poor service, poor infrastructure, the excessive development of tourist resources, and frequent accidents.

Therefore, Chinese citizens may choose quieter holidays in the future.

A sample survey by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics on the eve of the National Day holiday showed that 78.1 per cent of respondents were staying at home during the week-long holiday, saying tourism destinations are now too crowded.

Other pastimes could now take over, such as going to a bookstore, libraries, lectures, gymnasiums or cinemas.

Faced with problems brought about by massive passenger numbers during the golden weeks, experts also suggest that a system of annual leave with pay should be more widely implemented.

"We're having days off while world trade is in its peak season," said Wang Huiyao, president of the WRSA Chamber of Commerce of China. "For most countries in the world, September to November is the busiest season. We've missed lots of opportunities.

"We should encourage more people to take annual leave and shorten the May Day and National Day holidays."

(China Daily 10/08/2005 page1)