According to statistics regarding tourists received during the Spring Festival by 237 cities in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government nationwide, overnight tourists (referring only to those stopping overnight at hotels, guesthouses, inns and hostels, excluding those staying overnight at residents' homes) were 12.56 million in number (person/time, same below); the number of one-day tourists (figures obtained through survey of tourists in scenic areas) was 32.4 million. Among the 23.06 million tourists received in 25 key tourist cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing, 5.99 million were overnight tourists, and 17.06 million one-day tourists.

Statistics show that during the Spring Festival, per-capita spending on tourism nationwide was 441 yuan. Twenty-five key tourist cities earned 9.8 billion yuan from tourism, and other tourist cities 7.9 billion yuan. Income earned from civil air passenger transport came to 1.1 billion yuan, that from railway passenger transport to 1 billion yuan.

Available materials show that during the Spring Festival last year, the number of domestic tourists came to 20 million, and tourist income stood at around 16.3 billion yuan. An official concerned indicated that there was a significant increase in the number of tourists received nationwide during this year's Spring Festival, and the market was thriving and orderly. This situation shows that the various measures adopted by the State Council to promote a sound development of holiday tourism are being further carried out and have produced remarkable results.

(People’s Daily 02/02/2001)