May Day is play day

Picturesque Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.Warmer weather has stimulated the zest for travel for Chinese tourists as more people book outbound and domestic packages during the May Day holiday.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The number of tourists booking trips during the holiday is already double that of this month's Tomb Sweeping Festival. Yang Feiyue discerns trends and deals from data compiled by one of the country's major travel agencies.

May Day holiday travel is expected to be more than twice that of the recent April 4-6 Tomb Sweeping Day. Floods of visitors will land in Japan and South Korea, for example, because of favorable visa policies and a stronger yuan, a report by major Chinese online travel company Ctrip says.

"Tourists are more likely to travel in May because of warmer weather," Ctrip's tourism department marketing director Dai Yu says.

"(South Korea and Japan's) popularity is expected to surpass Hong Kong's."

Ctrip's group trips to Japan have sold out. About 70 percent of South Korean packages are booked, according to the company's study that based on reservation data.

Savvy travelers are already signing up for packages through early July.

Leading the pack in South Korea are Seoul and Jeju Island. Chinese visitors to Jeju don't need visas. And May trips are 800-1,000 yuan ($130-160) cheaper than the July-September summer vacation period, Ctrip says.

Dai recommends Japan's Kyushu and its northern regions to those hoping to explore off the beaten path.

Most of Ctrip's long-distance outbound travel packages for the May Day holiday still have plenty of tickets available.

Thailand, Europe and Africa also rank among hot destinations.