More than 54.54 million tourists visited Shanxi province during the National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7, an increase of 16.7 percent year-on-year, bringing in revenue of 35.23 billion yuan ($5.11 billion), up 18.3 percent on the same period in 2017, according to a report released by the Shanxi Provincial Tourism Development Commission on Oct 8.

During the week-long vacation, 35 major tourist attractions in the province received 5.84 million visitors, representing year-on-year growth of 13.3 percent and earning 218 million yuan in ticket income, up 16.12 percent year-on-year.

Leisure tours made up the majority of Shanxi's tourism market during the holiday, with self-planned tours by families trending upward. Mountain climbing, suburban journeys and rural leisure tours were still first choices for many visitors. Visitors tended to self-drive or take the high-speed railway.

The tourism boom during the holiday was partially due to organized activities and convenient services at scenic spots.

High-tech services were offered, such as online booking, travel information consultation on apps like WeChat, and entry by scanning QR codes. These services helped to relieve traffic jams and save time for tourists.

Children play in a village in Wuzhai county, Shanxi province, Oct 4. Many urban residents went to rural areas in Shanxi to experience farm life during their family tours over the National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

The colorful Salt Lake in Yuncheng city attracts many tourists during the holiday. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]