The dual holiday came to a close with the end of the toll-free highway policy on Sunday at midnight. Many people chose to go on a vacation during this year not only because they had eight days off, but also because they were able to save a lot on vehicle transportation. Shi Wenjing takes a look at the expenses of travels this year.
With an 8-day stretch of no highway tolls and a reduction in ticket prices at some tourist spots, the record number of travels was not hard to predict. And some Chinese said their holidays made a bigger dent in their bank than expected.
"Last year, we spent about five thousand yuan. This year we spent a little more than that, around six thousand yuan. We went to Jiuzhaigou this year, and many products inside the scenic area were more expensive, such as bottled water, instant food, etc. And we spent a long time in line."
Some tourists took to the internet to voice their opinions on the growing prices.
One tourist posted on his microblog that he spent fifty yuan on a bowl of congee, something that will usually set a person back 3 to 5 yuan.
But researchers said the numbers were a good sign.
Peng Peng, Researcher, Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences said, "I think this also reflects the other side of the picture. The increasing number of tourists display the economic outlook of the whole society. People have started to change their concept of consumption. A growing number of people are choosing to travel. We should have faith in the economic momentum in the future."
The Golden Week holiday and Spring Festival are the only long holidays that have hundreds of millions traveling back to their hometowns.
But as living conditions continue to improve at home, many choose to go on vacation, a good chance for the country’s budding tourism industry to continue to make improvements.