Paid vacation is better than Golden Week

The traffic jams and crowded tourist resorts in China during the weeklong National Day holiday suggest the Chinese government should implement the paid vacation system to give people more options on how and when to spend their holidays, says an article of the China Business News (excerpts below).

The Chinese government has attached great economic significance to the "Golden Week" holidays of the National Day, the Spring Festival and the Labor Day since the national holiday system was established in 1999. The three holidays have contributed greatly to domestic consumption.

However, the people's experience during the three weeks has not been ideal. The shortcomings of national unified holiday system have become increasingly obvious. Many local governments can not satisfy the exploding demand for public services from the rushing tourist population.

The State Council cancelled the Labor Day holiday week in 2008. Since the Spring Festival holiday is an important occasion for family get-togethers in China, the National Day holiday week becomes the time for Chinese people to travel at home and abroad.

Although the paid vacation system has been implemented in China for a long time, only the State-owned enterprises, government departments and some international companies in China take the system seriously. Most employees working for private enterprises do not get their paid vacation at all.

Only after the paid vacation system starts functioning properly for all employees can the Chinese government consider canceling the National Day holiday week. Otherwise, employees in the private sector will not get their week of rest.

The workers deserve the right to decide on their own when and how to spend their holiday time. Domestic consumption can be boosted in many ways, such as tax reduction. The main point of holiday time is to allow workers to enjoy some time off.